Architect’s Race & Horse Focus
In a new addition to the website for subscribers, we have a race and horse focus for today’s racing with two selections. As it’s launch weekend, here is the free article. To receive these in future, you will need to subscribe.
Race Focus:
15.05 Auteuil – Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris
France’s most prestigious race of their National Hunt calendar takes place today, the Grade 1 Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, which is competed over 3m6f. Trainer Louisa Carberry will attempt to enhance her great record in the race with her form statistics in the event currently reading U111.
Gran Diose won the race for her last year and bids for back-to-back wins. He returned an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Prix Ingre last time out, which is often a good trial for this event. He’s top of the market and the one they all have to beat, but I’m not quite sure he represents any sort of value.
In fact, when he won the race last year, he only had a neck to spare over GRANDEUR NATURE, who went down on his shield twelve months ago and has only been seen twice since that heroic display in defeat, including over hurdles on his return. I know he’s a nine-year-old, but he doesn’t have many miles on the clock, and his record when racing beyond 3m3f reads form figures of 2122.
In November of 2023, he thumped Gran Diose by more than three lengths on testing ground at this venue over 3m3f in the Grade 1 Prix La Haye Jousselin. The winner evidently set a furious pace and perhaps he picked up the pieces, but he’s a strong stayer and this has clearly been the plan for a while.
I just think at more than triple the odds of the favourite at around 10/1, he seems overpriced. Goliath Du Rheu is a progressive individual and won a Grade 2 event last time out, but he does need major improvement if he’s to be winning this and his odds seem a little short based on what he’s actually achieved. Trainer Francois Nicolle is 0-21 in the event as well, though he’s had four made the frame.
Instead, stablemate DIAMOND CARL might be worth a chance at double-figure odds. He was actually sent off a warm favourite to beat Gran Diose last time out, and although he could only finish third, it was reported that he had a back issue, hence why he didn’t jump very well, and that has been rectified.
The seven-year-old is very classy and has won eight of his 13 starts and placed in four. His only time out of the frame was when he fell in a Grade 1 here in November. The fact that connections are willing to run him in the race after just one start this season is interesting.
Therefore with improvement to come, and the step up in trip likely to suit, he cannot be dismissed at 10/1, given he will be fitter from his latest return as well. The vastly experienced Bertrand Lestrade knows him inside and out and has an amazing record in the race, winning it twice.
Horse Focus Tips:
GRANDEUR NATURE (10/1 generally, 4 places)
0.5 POINTS EACH-WAY
DIAMOND CARL (10/1 generally, 4 places)
0.5 POINTS EACH-WAY
