Pride Of Arras will make his long-awaited return to the races in Sunday’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, but the comeback assignment could hardly be any tougher, with last year’s winner Calandagan set to stand in his way.
The Ralph Beckett-trained gelding has not raced since finishing close-up in the Bahrain International Trophy in November, but remains a horse of real interest as he begins the next stage of his career. Now a four-year-old and rated 115, Pride Of Arras is being aimed at a more international campaign, and Saint-Cloud looks a logical starting point over 2400m on a flat, left-handed track.
He promised plenty during the early part of last season, heading into the Derby as the leading British-trained hope after winning the Dante Stakes at York to preserve his unbeaten record. Things did not go to plan at Epsom, where he beat just one runner home, and he was again below expectations in the Irish Derby before connections made the decision to geld him.
That move appeared to help him settle back into form, with Pride Of Arras returning to York to win the Great Voltigeur before running with credit in Bahrain. His intended reappearance in the John Porter Stakes in April was ruled out by a bruised foot, a setback which took longer than expected to fully clear up.
Calandagan is the clear measuring stick in the race. Francis-Henri Graffard’s five-year-old was a dominant winner of this contest last year, a performance that helped launch a brilliant winning sequence and confirmed him as one of the best older horses in Europe.
His campaign this year has not been as smooth. He was below his best in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, where rain-softened ground worked against him, and he now returns to Saint-Cloud on something of a recovery mission. Even so, he brings the strongest form profile into the race and will be hard to beat if he returns to the level he showed on this course 12 months ago.
Aidan O’Brien has left in both Jan Brueghel and Lambourn, who also contested the Coronation Cup, while Karl Burke could be represented by Convergent. Andre Fabre has Cualificar and Sinileo among the entries, with Aventure, Sunly and Eydon also still in contention.
For Pride Of Arras, this is more than just a seasonal return. It is the beginning of a new chapter. His three-year-old campaign promised plenty, hit trouble through the middle of the year, then finished with signs that his ability remained intact.
Now gelded, fresh and with international options firmly on the table, Sunday’s Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud will tell connections just how high they can aim.
By Scott Bailey – iRACE
