Final Group One at Saint-Cloud

Saint-Cloud today stages the final European Group One of 2009, the Criterium de Saint-Cloud for 2yo´s over a testing 2000 metres at 14.35. Only 2 of the 9 runners are French-trained, Kaafe (Freddie Head/ Olivier Peslier) and Simon de Montfort (André Fabre/ Mikael Barzalona), who looks to be Godolphin´s second string. Their main hope is probably Passion for Gold (Saeed bin Suroor/Frankie Dettori), one of 3 British runners.

There are also 3 runners from Ireland, all trained by Aidan O´Brien, best of whom on jockey bookings could be German-bred Don Carlos (Johnny Murtagh). Then there is the German challenger Zazou (Mario Hofer/ Maxime Guyon), winner of valuable sales races at Cologne and Baden-Baden. Hofer won this race with Paita a few years back and expects Zazou to run well, although he is meeting stiffer opposition than ever before. He could well be placed and probably has a better chance than the 2 German runners in the listed race over 3100 metres at 15.40, Classical Song (Christian von der Recke/ Joe Fanning) and Tres Rock Danon (Waldemar Hickst/ Johan Victoire).

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Jeu De Memoire - Fred Lalloupet - Oui Non
2. Race: Compton Effect - Tierra Luna - Around Me
3. Race: Polytechnicien - Peinture Texane - Numerologie
4. Race: Simon de Montfort - Zazou - Passion For Gold
5. Race: Adjuvence - Prima Porta - Miss Stream
6. Race: Roatan - Hekatompylos - Green Tango
7. Race: Rousquille - Quristine - Quanicire
8. Race: You Wait - Polidina - Retake