Paris flat season starts

Today marks the official beginning of the 2010 French flat season; after the winter meetings at Cagnes, Pau, Deauville etc, the first Paris track opens its gates today - Saint- Cloud with 9 races on very heavy ground, and a couple of German runners. In the opening tiercé handicap over 1400 metres at 13.35, Sascha Scmzrek saddles Fareion with Dominique Boeuf aboard.

Fareion has already shown good form in France, but this is a very tough race and conditions will be far different from the fibregrass track at Deauville; however on good day, he can certainly get involved. In the third division of this handicap at 17.10 Werner Baltromei saddles Sumatra Tiger with the same jockey. Sumatra Tiger comes with excellent form from Cagnes, where he followed up two second places with two victories, but is moving up in grade here. This looks much more difficult; perhaps German-owned Hot Spot (Miriam Bollack/ Alxi Badel), who has been dropped in grade, can run well at a decent price. The main events are for 3yo´s over 2000 metres at 14.05 (for colts) and 14.35 (for fillies). The colts´ race looks much stronger, with 3 of the 5 runners still unbeaten. However Jean-Claude Rouget, already in good form, can take this with Midnight Game (Christophe Soumillon), runner-up on both his starts so far.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Fareion - Nasaq - Outer Continent
2. Race: Midnight Game - Handsome Devil - High Trick
3. Race: Terra Nova - Sandbar - Emotional Rescue
4. Race: Aratan - Passing Chop - Glasclune
5. Race: Seabreeze d`Ho - Spamix - Tinera
6. Race: Very Best - Vicvic - Stareel
7. Race: Magic Sport - Irish Kelt - Richhill Lady
8. Race: Flashmob - Miss Denmark - Mesnil Des Aigles