French racing gets away at 9am this morning UK time at Angers, though if you’d like to finish your breakfast before you start your Superbowl betting bonanza today, the action at Cagnes-sur-Mer this afternoon is top class.
The Listed Prix de la Californie at 1.50pm is something of a provincial derby. Uni is the most distinguished name on the recent honours board, though she could only finish 3rd in 2017 before going on to be a Grade One racemare in the US under Chad Brown. Archie Watson’s Barys took this in 2019, but there are no raiders today.
Jerome Reynier’s Bonheur Bleu holds the most powerful formline having won the Class 1 Prix Joseph Collignon. Christophe Soumillon is reportedly a fan of the horse (whatever that means) and he’s fitted with first-time cheekpieces, though I have a nagging feeling that he’s simply too exposed now to have black type pretensions.
Trop Prete is a logical favourite having made her debut in the hot Prix de la Cascade maiden in Paris and then returning after 4 months with a rout at this course over 10 furlongs. Priced at 2-1 today, the concern for me at that price today is that her trainer prefers her over 10 furlongs or further, and yet she cuts back to a mile for this black type race as the equivalent contest at this meeting over 2000m is the Prix Policeman, which as a conditions race has no breeding value for the Wertheimers.
12-1 Oxiana enters calculations but is at a disadvantage as one of very few in here to have no run at the course before.
This isn’t a race to go overboard in as over half the field won last time out. I was really taken by Henri-Alex Pantall’s Indian Wish when she won a maiden over this C&D last month in similar style to Trop Prete. The daughter of The Grey Gatsby appears to be a very rangy type and she literally towered over the opposition. 4-1 is no giveaway but the experts say her splits were good in that maiden win and she appeals as one that will be bang there at the business end. Her trainer has had a strike rate of about 20% at this meeting for the last three years and she comes out best on the adjusted weights amongst those who have earned a rating (nb. the favourite hasn’t!).
1.50pm Cagnes-sur-Mer – 1pt win Indian Wish @ 4-1 (William Hill and generally available)
