Comeback of Mare Autralis

Longchamp, Sunday, 10 April: The posh track in Longchamp opens its gates today and offers an eight-race programme. In addition to two Group 3 and one Listed class, the Prix d`Harcourt (6th race/17.00/130,000 Euro/2000 m) is one of the highlights.

Six horses are competing for Group 2 honours and four of them recently met in the Prix Exbury (Group 3). Hurricane Dream (Christophe Soumillon), Skalleti (Maxime Guyon) and Mr de Pourceaugnac (Hugo Besnier) finished close behind the winning Pretty Tiger in second to fourth, while Dawn Intello (Gerald Mosse) was shuffled to the rear early on after racing in the leading group. Skalleti is the defending champion, he later went on to win the Prix d`Ispahan (Group 1) and the Dallmayr Prize (Group 1) in Munich. Sealiway (Mickael Barzalona) carries one kilo more than Skalleti. The Graffard protégé landed his biggest coup after finishing second in the French Derby at Ascot, where he pinned the Champion Stakes (Group 1) to his banner. German hopes rest on Gestüt Schlenderhans Mare Australis (Olivier Peslier). Twelve months ago, the five-year-old finished in second place behind Skalleti, went on to win the Prix Ganay (Group 1) and then took a break of almost a year due to injury.