Old Eagle, Dato and Mendocino to kick things off

Longchamp, Thursday 12 May: Opening today`s seven-race card at Longchamp is the Group 3 Prix d`Hedouville (1st race/17.16pm/80,000 Euros/2400m).

Three of the six participants start for German interests. Waldemar Hickst saddles the Derby runner-up Alter Adler (Cristian Demuro), who had also taken the place of honour in the Premio Jockey Club (Group 1) in Rome. Sascha Smrczek is responsible for Dato (Bayarsaikhan Ganbat), who is currently winning the Carl-Jespers-Preis, and Sarah Steinberg is with Mendocino (Rene Piechulek), who finished fourth in the Prix Lord Seymour (Listed race) here on his seasonal debut. The German trio will have to fear in particular Mutabahi (Olivier Peslier), who triumphed at List level in Saint-Cloud, Mr de Pourceaugnac (Hugo Besnier) and Bubble Gift (Gerald Mosse). The latter finished eighth in his last start in the `Arc de Triomphe`.