The most demanding early Group 1 races in Europe are the English, French and Irish Guineas for the top fillies and colts. 

They are the first Classics of each country's season and are run at one mile on Turf for three-year olds.

The English 2000 Guineas for males and 1000 Guineas for females at Newmarket are generally the stiffest tests offering no place to hide up and down the stamina-draining dips of the straight Rowley Mile.

The French Guineas are perceived to be a little easier, because the curving back arm of Longchamp's course allows horses to manoeuvre for position just before the final turn when they break free in a final sprint up the straight.

The Irish Guineas are run a week later at the Curragh on lush, softer ground on the undulating racecourse where horses can take advantage of the rail. 

Their Guineas tend to be dominated by Irish horses as Europe's race movement tends toward the Eastern mainland.  England is a hub and easy to reach, but Ireland is cut off.


Today's races were the Group 1 French Guineas or the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (female 1000) and the Poule d'Essai des Poulains (male 2000).

There was no surprise that Golden Lilac IRE (Galileo IRE), sent off 6.4 favourite in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches as she had been touted as an exceptional filly, cruised past the other 15 who ran beating Glorious Sight IRE (Singspiel IRE) by three lengths.
 
She had already beaten GL by 4¾ in a Group 3 last month ending GL's winning streak.

Third was Wild Wind GER (Danehill Dancer IRE) by another half length.   

The race surprise was that the placed fillies were Glorious Sight who went off at 36.1 and Wild Wind at 27.1.  

None of the other favoured horses placed including Maqaasid (Green Desert IRE) who was third in the English 1000 Guineas and fared no better than eighth in the Poule. 

Maqaasid (in Stall 14) had no real chance to overcome the course bias against higher stall numbers.  One has to feel sympathy for her connections trainer John Gosden and jockey Richard Hills.
 
Another victim of course bias was improving Nova Hawk (Hawk Wing USA) who equalled her fourth in the English Guineas by ¾ lengths behind Wild Wind.  NH came from Stall 11. 

There is not just course bias against higher stall numbers on the right-hand track, there is a rule bias as well. 

Horses must run in their stall positions across the back course and cannot cut over to the rail until approaching the final turn.  They can sprint down the short home stretch.

Horses drawn wider have to cover far greater distances racing wide aroun the curves than those drawn near the rail.

The Poule winner and place horses were from Stalls 6, 2 and 1 respectively.

Having said that, the winner has won all of her four starts and did so with ease under master jockey Olivier Peslier for master trainer Andre Fabre.

She is owned and bred by Gestut Ammerland.


The outcome of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains also favoured the rail and mid position horses . 

It was also a heartbreaker for England when its outstanding colt Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj IRE) was drawn 14 of 15.

He was 2.1 favourite even though he had not raced this season.

Paul Hannigan, champion jockey, tried the only strategy open to him by cutting fast across the course as soon as allowed.
 
He set a burning sprint pace that unfortunately burnt him out into fifth.  

Outsiders Havana Smoker (Dubawi IRE), Venomous (Red Ransom USA) and Temps Au Temps IRE (Invincible Spirit IRE) made their challenges to tiring Wootton Bassett just before the 2 furlong marker.  

In one of the smoothest moves of the day, jockey Thierry Jarnet slipped his colt Tin Horse IRE (Sakhee USA) out from his covered cruising position of fifth on the rail to make a sweaping challenge wide around all the hopefuls.

The little grey was hardly noticed when he accelerated past the melee to win by two comfortable lengths. 

He is trained by D Guillemin and owned by his breeder, the Marquise de Moratalla, who has raced many champions.

Tin Horse was sent out at 10.1 from Stall 1 and never left the rail till his final swoop.

Havane Smoker (35.1) and Temps Au Temps (53.1) did well to muscle over from Stalls 11 and 15 to take second and fourth in the race ahead of Wootton Bassett.

Venomous, sent out at 25.1, from Stall 6 was third. 

It was a great day for French-trained horses and jockeys despite unexpected upsets mostly due to the quirky French racing Rules.  

Only Golden Lilac did what everyone expected her to do.

Given that Tin Horse's illustrious sire Sakhee won the Arc de Triomphe by an unbeaten record of six lengths, this sleek colt may also prove to be one of the great ones.


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