The highlight of the Pau meeting for the four year olds takes place today and this year’s renewal of the Prix Camille Dubosq looks a really competitive affair.
Old friend Loumonrok (who was tipped up in this column when scoring at 40-1 at Cholet in November) is a contender, and there are another couple that have been tipped, without success, on here! Mon Ami Well was given a poor ride on the flat at Angers in November but has since looked an exciting recruit to the jumping game, with a second and first on his two runs in this sphere. In Excelsis Deo was tipped on debut in a bumper at Craon in December but was just in need of the experience that day – he looked a nice prospect when beating a stablemate here last time.
However, the bet in the race is Drop The Pilot. The Gaby Leenders representative was much too good for a couple of Francois Nicolle-trained juveniles at Cholet in October and both have gone on to frank the form’ Ikarak (beaten 5L) was just pipped at Auteuil on his next outing, while Morgan Has bolted up by 16L over fences here in December.
Drop The Pilot was ridden with plenty of restraint here last time in the Prix Joseph de Gontaut-Biron, which is the prep race for this. Though he finished behind three of today’s rivals (Diavolezza, Loumonrok and Traprain Law), the result may well have been different but for a couple of significant jumping errors.
Loumonrok’s rider can’t claim on this occasion, so is now 3kg worse off, and though Traprain Law is open to improvement, I thought he got the run of the race in front. There is only a couple of lengths to find with today’s favourite, yet Drop The Pilot is more than double the price.
2.35pm Pau – 1pt win, 0.5pt place Drop The Pilot @ 7-1 (all firms)
