Analysis and key trainer quotes for the Prix Ganay, the first European Group 1 of the season

Al Riffa heads to Longchamp for Sunday's opening Group 1 of the European season having had a three-year-old campaign that was late in starting and then curtailed by injury.

What the son of Wootton Bassett did manage to show when chasing home Ace Impact in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano was that he retained plenty of the ability which swept him to National Stakes success at two, while Joseph O'Brien knows just what is needed to win the Prix Ganay having landed the prize with another seasonal debutant in State Of Rest two years ago. 

Indeed, the Ganay's place in the calendar puts the same question to punters each spring: do you side with race-fit contenders who have taken in a trial such as the Prix d'Harcourt, or do you prefer the claims of a proven Group 1 performer who has been spared an early-season warm-up on potentially treacherous ground?

Both Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon and Grand Prix de Paris winner Feed The Flame have got their eye in already, and arguably offer a third way in that they have both race-fitness and proven class. 

Rene Piechulek celebrates after Fantastic Moon's win in the Deutsches Derby at Hamburg

Fantastic Moon ran perfectly respectably when second under a penalty to perennial rival Mr Hollywood – although the winner let the form down last weekend in the Carl Jaspers Preis – and showed his liking for Longchamp when beating Feed The Flame in last season's Prix Niel. 

Fantastic Moon is undoubtedly a better horse on good ground, which Longchamp was edging towards during Thursday evening's meeting, and he would be one of a number of horses who wouldn't want the full 17mm of forecast rain to materialise. 

Feed The Flame looked badly in need of the run when fifth in the Harcourt on his first start since being struck into in the Arc, and he must reverse form with the one-two from three weeks ago – Zarakem and Horizon Dore have both been supplemented this week – as well as third-placed Birr Castle.

Horizon Dore took a step forward that day after finishing well adrift of Haya Zark in the Prix Exbury, although he would be another who wouldn't want an absolute deluge before race time. 

Crypto Force won the Beresford Stakes a couple of weeks after Al Riffa's victory in the 2022 National Stakes but failed to make it to the track at all at three. The son of Time Test travelled well on his reappearance before understandably wanting for fitness and, if he can withstand the eight-day turnaround, he can also make his presence felt.

Ground update

Ground conditions at Longchamp were reported to be soft on Saturday, when between 8mm and 12mm of rain were expected to fall, leading to an official going forecast of very soft for the Ganay card.

What they say

Francis Graffard, trainer of Zarir
I wanted to bring him back in trip and the idea had been to run in the Harcourt but he doesn’t want the ground really testing so unfortunately we had to wait. I think plenty of him so we’ll give it a try in the hope that the ground doesn’t get too deep again with Saturday’s rain. Soft is fine for him but he doesn’t want it really bad.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Al Riffa
He's in good shape and this looks a logical starting point for him. It was frustrating not to make the Irish Champion Stakes as he had a last-minute setback, but he's had a nice break, he's fresh and well and hopefully he can reap the rewards of his owner's patience this season. He ran very well in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano on his last run and the race has worked out well. We’re looking forward to getting him out.

Adrian Murray, trainer of Crypto Force
We were very happy with his run at the Curragh on Saturday. He would have been rusty because it's a long time since he ran. He was doing it the hard way and maybe we shouldn't have made the running on him but hindsight is wonderful and two furlongs out he was still hard on the bridle. That run will bring him on a lot.

Crypto Force lands the 2022 Beresford Stakes at the CurraghCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Jerome Reynier, trainer of Zarakem
It would have been difficult to justify an entry in the Ganay before he'd made his comeback in the Group 2, given he'd won two provincial Listed races last year. But I was impressed with him in the Harcourt and he's growing more mature. He's come out of the race in good shape and his preparations have gone really well so everything was in place for us to supplement him. The ground really makes no difference, as long as it doesn't get extreme. It was heavy last time but it was opening day at Longchamp and a magnificent surface to race on. He's just very good and goes on anything. Now we have to see whether he's up to Group 1 level but I couldn't have him any better.

Pascal Bary, trainer of Feed The Flame
The horse is much better than before the Harcourt, when he took a big blow afterwards. I'm pleased to see the ground drying out and hopefully it stays that way.

Adrien Fouassier, trainer of Haya Zark
Everything has gone well with the horse and the more rain that falls the better for him. The two things that I'm disappointed about are that Christophe Soumillon is unavailable to ride him and that he has a bad draw [in stall eight]. Hopefully they will go a good gallop to help overcome his high number.

Andre Fabre, trainer of Birr Castle
He has worked pretty well and is in good shape. Obviously he is not among the probable favourites but I expect him to run well. He’s indifferent to the ground.

Horizon Dore (yellow silks) chases home King Of Steel in the Champion StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Pauline Chehboub, racing manager of Gousserie Racing, co-owners of Horizon Dore
The Group 1 entries were brought forward this year and it was an error that he wasn’t in to begin with but the Ganay was always the plan. He’s in very good form and he’s come forward with each run. It’s hard to know how much rain there will be and, while he goes on all types of ground, he can really accelerate off a sound surface. A strong pace would help him travel and then pick up, while he’s run very well at Longchamp before. His trainer is very pleased with him and physically he’s done well from three to four. He’s entered in the Prix d’Ispahan but his main target for the first half of the season is the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, head of the Liberty Racing Syndicate, owners of Fantastic Moon
He coped well with the race at Berlin and returned home in a very good state. He worked very well on soft ground under Rene Piechulek last Friday. We know he wants good ground if he is to bring his A game so we will see what rain comes. It’s a very interesting race with three Group 1 winners and we’ll try as long as the ground doesn't turn heavy. He is fit and well and his mind is good. He wore the hood for the first time last time and he was much calmer in the parade ring before the race and he settled a little bit better.

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