Prix Ganay: John Ingles's preview

A meeting between a couple of top-class older horses is more often a treat not served up until later in the season, Royal Ascot at the earliest perhaps, so Sunday's Prix Ganay at Longchamp, featuring both Treve and Cirrus des Aigles, promises to be a rare early-season clash to savour between two heavyweights.

While it's hard to argue with the billing of Europe's first Group 1 contest of the year as a virtual match, the profiles of the two main contenders could hardly be more different. Whilst four-year-old filly Treve will be having just the sixth start of her life, eight-year-old gelding Cirrus des Aigles is the veteran of more than fifty races and was already winning in group company before Treve was even born.

Cirrus des Aigles ended his 2012 season by being beaten less than two lengths by Frankel in the Champion Stakes at Ascot. But for most of last year, after a belated return, it looked as though Cirrus des Aigles was going to struggle to come anywhere close to that career-best effort until running a tremendous race to finish a close second in the same race last October, splitting Farhh and Derby winner Ruler of The World. That proved that most of his ability was still intact and there was enough encouragement from his second place to dual Japan Cup winner Gentildonna in last month's Dubai Sheema Classic to suggest that even as a veteran by Flat standards, Cirrus des Aigles is still going to be capable of showing at least high-class form this season.

Even that, though, leaves him with something to find if Treve returns anywhere near her best. She kept her unbeaten record when running out a brilliant five-length of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in the autumn and is the first Arc winner since Bago to attempt a winning return in the Ganay, something he achieved in 2005. Although lacking the benefit of a recent run, a gallop earlier this month drew lavish praise from her rider Frankie Dettori who will be reunited with Treve in a race for the first time since an earlier impressive win in the Prix Vermeille, while trainer Criquette Head-Maarek reports Treve to have strengthened up over the winter. A potent turn of foot characterised Treve's victories last term, and with a dedicated pacemaker acquired for her this season (Belle de Crecy, a smart filly in her own right when trained by Johnny Murtagh last year), she should have things run to suit.

But if anything brings the two main protagonists closer together, it could be soft ground which may be on the cards given the unsettled forecast. Just how effective Treve's turn of foot would be in those conditions is still open to question given that she's yet to encounter going worse than good to soft; she smashed the track record at Chantilly in the Prix de Diane last summer on firmish ground. Cirrus des Aigles, on the other hand, positively relishes soft going, as he proved when winning this very race by eight lengths two years ago, and when runner-up in the two Champion Stakes referred to above.

The remainder are yet to prove themselves any better than smart performers. Smoking Sun accounted for Norse King, Triple Threat and Baltic Baroness when they filled the first four places in the Prix d'Harcourt here earlier in the month (on unseasonably quick ground) but there's little to choose between the first three of those on that form. Smoking Sun is worse off with the placed horses here, while the prospect of very different conditions this time could easily see proven soft-ground performer Norse King faring best of that group. Joshua Tree was well beaten by Treve in the Arc and his two runs in Dubai this year leave him with plenty to find against the principals.

Treve is much the likeliest winner, especially if conditions do not deteriorate, but makes little appeal at what are likely to be cramped odds, and with the proviso that the ground is soft, Norse King could represent each-way value.

Recommendation:

Place back Norse King in the Prix Ganay

Selected Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:
149 Treve
142 Cirrus des Aigles
130 Joshua Tree
129 Norse King
129 Smoking Sun