Appleby hoping patient approach pays off with Arc possible Ghaiyyath

The first fixture of the season at Longchamp is one of French racing's major rites of spring, arguably the equivalent of Newmarket's Craven meeting.

Charlie Appleby is wasting little time in launching Ghaiyyath, one of the biggest hopes among the trainer's strong team of older horses, in the Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt (4.00 Sky Sports Racing).

Forced to miss most of last season, Ghaiyyath received flattering quotes for the Arc and the Champion Stakes after trouncing his rivals here in the Prix du Prince d'Orange over a mile and a quarter last September, and Appleby will be hopeful his patience in not taking on either of those races will pay off this year.

"Ghaiyyath won at Longchamp on his only start last year and has done very well in Dubai over the winter," said Appleby, who is eyeing a return for the Prix Ganay at the end of the month if all goes well, while it would not be a surprise to see the handsome son of Dubawi back at Longchamp on the first Sunday in October.

"His preparation has gone nicely and he should get conditions to suit. We could go up in trip at some point but we feel a mile and a quarter is ideal at this stage of his career."

William Buick takes the ride, while James Doyle is aboard stablemate Lucius Tiberius, who has his first start in Godolphin blue having been bought out of Aidan O'Brien's yard.

"Lucius Tiberius showed decent form for his previous connections and has also wintered in Dubai," said Appleby. "We feel he could potentially be up to this level, although this race will be something of a learning curve."

Czech-trained Subway Dancer makes his first start since finishing third to Cracksman in the Champion Stakes, while among the home defence Intellogent has a Group 1 penalty to defy and tries a mile and a quarter for only the second time, having finished a close fourth in the Prix du Jockey Club last June.

Rooneys swap Aintree for Longchamp

The familiar yellow and blue quartered silks of Paul and Clare Rooney were carried to victory by If The Cap Fits in the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle at Aintree and will also be donned here by James Doyle aboard the Clive Cox-trained Getchagetchagetcha in the Group 3 Prix La Force (1.35 Sky Sports Racing), an early step on the road to the Qipco-sponsored Jockey Club.

Getchagetchagetcha: ran fourth in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood as a juvenileCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Getchagetchagetcha, who ran second on his reappearance at Kempton last month, put in arguably his best performance at two when fourth to Dark Vision in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

Cox said: "It was a pleasing return at Kempton stepped up to a mile and we're pleased to step up another furlong here. He's by Champs Elysees so the trip should be beneficial, and any rain would help."

Shaman might already have been just about favourite here on the basis of his fifth in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere last October, but also boasts strong recent form having scored at Listed level on his return at Saint-Cloud last month.

Shahnaza ready for return

Shahnaza was sent off favourite for last season's Prix de Diane and came close to breaking her duck at Group level with three placed efforts later in the year.

Alain de Royer-Dupre: will campaign Shahnaza over a mile and a half as the season progressesCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre has chosen the Listed Prix Zarkava (3.25 Sky Sports Racing) over 1m2½f for Shahnaza's first start at four.

"It's a comeback race and, although she's in good condition and ready to run, she's probably more of a mile-and-a-half filly," said Royer-Dupre. "She's done well over the winter, as you'd expect as a daughter of Azamour."

Eve Johnson Houghton would welcome a little April rain for Magnolia Springs, who won a Listed prize at Goodwood last May.

"It's a very hot race which looks more like a Group 2 to me, but there are very few fillies' races for her at the moment," said Johnson Houghton. "She wants cut in the ground and we're hoping for a nice run without too many great expectations."

There could be Diane clues on offer in the 1m1f Prix Vanteaux (2.50 Sky Sports Racing), in which the familiar pink and black stripes of Lordship Stud will be represented by Alimnia, who steps up from winning an all-weather maiden at Pornichet for this Group 3 test.

"She wasn’t fully wound up for her debut but I wanted to avoid soft ground, which is why she ran on the all-weather at 85 per cent fit," said trainer Francis Graffard.

"She was very professional and I knew she'd come on for the run. I don't know her limits yet but this is a race which doesn’t look to hold too may terrors, apart from the Laffon-Parias [Platane] and Rouget [Etoile] representatives."

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