The Deauville headlines from yesterday were understandably around the dominance of both the British and Irish raiders, but the Group One card also provided trainer Andre Fabre with a treble, as well as a fantastic return to action for his smart filly Mqse de Sévigné under a 2kg penalty.

Fabre has saddled 6 winners from his last 14 runners and he can add to that recent haul this afternoon at Clairefontaine.

Poseidina looks to hold a strong chance on the second race of the card, a seven furlong claimer. She ran with credit on her claiming debut last month to finish third under a €28,000 tag to Sluzewiec (claimed for €40,500 and officially improved 5lbs on his next start to win at Dax) and Impitoyable (out of a Group mare, claimed and ran a blinder in 2nd to the 43.5 rated Flying Candy on his next start at La Teste).

In for just €14,000 today in a weaker event, she is a confident pick to provide 16-year-old apprentice Adrian Le Lay Martin with his first pro winner. Le Lay Martin has ridden the winners of eight schooling races and in doing so, been entrusted with Group horses such as True Testament, Algiers, Magny Cours and Kertez.

In receipt of 5kg from her market rival Quietly Confident, Poseidina looks to be really well placed in this company and I am not wild on Gerald Mossé’s filly, who is making her tenth start of the calendar year, dropping in trip and having blinkers re-fitted. Trainer Lucie Pontoir likes to run her horses often, which may explain her modest strike rate. From her last 83 runners, just three have won and three others have finished either second or third.

1.35pm Clairefontaine – 2pt win Poseidina @ 11/4 (all firms but 3-1 with William Hill)

Like many of Fabre’s apprentices, I have a feeling that when Le Lay Martin starts to ride a couple of winners, it could open the floodgates. In race six, Ithaque is top-rated and finished third to the highly-touted Lev (runs in a Listed tomorrow, rated 41.0 and split Erevann, Al Hakeem and Tribalist on debut) and Memento Mori (5/4 favourite for the colts and geldings’ maiden 35 minutes earlier on this card).

Six-race maiden Hush Angels is a danger, as is Zarka, a Dubawi filly out of Zarkava, but Ithaque is solid enough and has the potential to improve again, as a €115,000 yearling out of a Listed winner.

3.55pm Clairefontaine – 1pt win Ithaque @ 3-1 (all firms)

Given that both selections are a minor related contingency, with the same in-form trainer and a potentially valuable apprentice on top, I’m also playing the double this afternoon!

1pt win double on 1.35pm Clairefontaine –  Poseidina and 3.55pm Clairefontaine – Ithaque @ 14-1 (all firms but 15-1 with William Hill)

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