Prix Imprudence Preview: Rouget May Provide Key Once Again

Anyone expecting the reappearance of 1000 Guineas second favourite High Celebrity will be disappointed that her name is missing among the fourteen fillies declared for Thursday’s Group 3 contest at Maisons-Laffitte. Andre Fabre prepped subsequent Guineas winner Miss France in last year’s Prix Imprudence, in which she finished only sixth, but perhaps the prospect of much softer ground for this year’s contest accounts for High Celebrity’s absence from what is traditionally the favoured trial for French-trained 1000 Guineas hopefuls.

However, there are five other 1000 Guineas entries among the Imprudence field, and a good enough performance from one of them could book their place at Newmarket. Jean-Claude Rouget has trained three of the last six Imprudence winners and must have an excellent chance of enhancing that record still further with Ervedya. She came up against 1000 Guineas favourite Found in the Prix Marcel Boussac on her final start last year and, while beaten two and a half lengths by the Aidan O’Brien filly in the end, she looked to be going best of all in the lead earlier in the straight having had to do plenty early on to overcome a wide draw.

Ervedya can also boast a good piece of form against colts last year after her third place behind Coventry Stakes winner The Wow Signal and subsequent Breeders’ Cup winner Hootenanny in the Prix Morny at Deauville. The other encouraging aspect of that run was that it proved Ervedya’s effectiveness on soft ground, something which is likely to be crucial here.

Criquette Head-Maarek is another trainer with a fine record in the Imprudence. Her representative this time is the ex-Italian filly Fontanelice who was unbeaten in five starts last year for Stefano Botti. Her final win came in Italy’s top race for two-year-old fillies, the Premio Dormello at Milan, though that form doesn’t look as good as some of her rivals who raced in France. Fontanelice is also yet to face really soft ground, but as a front runner she does have the benefit of a plum draw against the stand rail.

Queen Bee had a busy two-year-old campaign but one which suggests that conditions will suit her here. Successful in the Prix du Calvados at Deauville in the summer, she ended the year with a good second to the British-trained colt Mattmu in the Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte, though her fifth place in the Marcel Boussac suggests she has work to do to turn the tables on Ervedya. Similar comments apply to Night of Light who was only sixth in the Marcel Boussac, though she’s trained by Pascal Bary, another trainer with a good record in the race and responsible for the last filly to complete the Imprudence-1000 Guineas double, Natagora in 2008.

The other Guineas entry in the line-up is La Berma who had just three runs at two, making a winning debut at Deauville before finishing second in a listed race at Maisons-Laffitte and the Prix Eclipse at Chantilly.

The strongest claims among those fillies who are not engaged at Newmarket look to be held by Ameenah. She had a good record in the Provinces prior to signing off last season with a course-and-distance win in the Prix Miesque from Night of Light and Kenouska, both of whom take her on again.

Recommendation:

Back Ervedya in the Prix Imprudence

Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:

124         Ervedya

121         Queen Bee

117         Ameenah

117         La Berma

116         Kenouska