Prix Greffulhe Preview: Derby challengers go through their paces

Andr Fabre: trainer of Ocovango

Timeform's John Ingles looks towards this weekend's Prix Greffulhe (17:55) at Saint-Cloud.

While the main Derby trials at Chester, Lingfield and York are still to come over the next few weeks, in France the series of prep races leading to the Prix du Jockey Club is already well under way. Next stop on Saturday is the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud. In fact, this year's race has the potential to provide as many clues for Epsom as it does for Chantilly. Left-handed Saint-Cloud is the nearest any of the top French tracks get to replicating Epsom, and the Greffulhe has been used in the past by Andre Fabre as a trial for his Epsom hopefuls. Visindar started a short-priced favourite for the 2006 Derby after keeping his unbeaten record in the Greffulhe beforehand, only to disappoint at Epsom, but two years ago Pour Moi was something of a surprise winner of the Greffulhe for the same trainer before becoming his first Derby victor in dramatic fashion the following month.

Fabre has already revealed a particularly strong-looking hand of three-year-old middle-distance colts this spring, recent Newmarket winner Intello among them. The one he's nominated for Epsom, however, is the unbeaten Ocovango who faces just four rivals in the Greffulhe. Both his wins have come at this course, and he ran out an easy winner of a listed race over a slightly longer trip than the Greffulhe at the end of March, quickening clear a furlong out in the manner of a future group-race winner.

However, Ocovango is not the only Derby entry in the field. Bravodino has an Epsom engagement too, and the pedigree to go with it, being a close relative of the 2003 Derby winner Kris Kin. The Jonathan Pease-trained colt made a winning reappearance in a minor event over an extended 10 furlongs here at the beginning of April, form which received a boost when the third that day, another Fabre colt, Tableaux, went on to win the Prix Noailles a fortnight ago. Bravodino is open to improvement too, after just two starts, but he does have to turn around a beating from Ocovango when they finished first and second in a newcomers race last autumn, Ocovango going three lengths clear on that occasion before being eased.

The third progressive colt in the line-up is Wire To Wire, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget. Unlike his chief rivals, he'll be stepping up in trip after winning his last three starts at a mile. It's not a move that's guaranteed to suit on breeding, but he was impressive in a minor event at Saint-Cloud on his final start last year and won a listed race in good style over the same course and distance on his return at the end of March after being a bit reluctant to go into the stalls.

Ivan Grozny is the fourth course winner in the field, having won a minor event on very heavy ground here early in the season. He was also successful in the last of his five starts in the Provinces as a two-year-old, and while his form is on a par with those already mentioned, he has had his limitations exposed in pattern company already when third in the Prix La Force at Longchamp last time behind yet another Fabre colt, Triple Threat. In this small field, Ivan Grozny should at least ensure that there is a guaranteed pacemaker.

The German-trained Superplex completes the line-up. He has gained both his wins in France, including a minor event at Longchamp on his reappearance last month, but looks to have something to find on form compared with his rivals. 

Recommendation:

Back Ocovango in the Prix Greffulhe

Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:

Ocovango 121p
Bravodino 120p
Ivan Grozny 119
Wire To Wire 117p
Superplex 110