A one-horse affair? Tipster analysis and key stats for the Group 3 at Deauville

3.25 Deauville
Prix de Barbeville (Group 3) | 1m7f | 4yo+ | SKY

Star stayers Holdthasigreen and Call The Wind are separated by just 1lb on official ratings (116 compared to 115), but the head-to-head record is firmly in the favour of Call The Wind and the fact that he is in receipt of 6lb from his main rival suggests this year's edition of the Prix de Barbeville could be a one-horse race.

Freddy Head's talented six-year-old has finished in front of his regular foe on four occasions, including when landing the Group 1 Prix du Cadran at Longchamp in 2018.

However, following that effort Call The Wind went through a spell of always finding one or two too good in Group 1 and 2 company and didn't strike again until he came up trumps in the inaugural running of the Longines Turf Handicap on Saudi Cup night at Riyadh.

He landed a cool prize of just over £1.1 million that day and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him improve for that effort given it was his first run for four months.

Head was set to send his stayer to Dubai on the back of his Riyadh score, but the Dubai World Cup meeting was cancelled and he has since been kept fresh with this race in mind.

"I'm very happy with him. He was very good when he won the last day, we then took him to Dubai and he was there when the [World Cup] meeting was cancelled," said Head.

"Since he's been back he's been in good form and he's in perfect shape now. I think he'll run a good race."

The only time that eight-year-old Holdthasigreen has fended off Call The Wind in five outings was when he denied Head's runner a second consecutive score in the Cadran this year under an inspired ride from Tony Piccone.

That race will be the target for both runners once again, but trainer Bruno Auduin will hope that the topweight can follow up last year's victory in this contest first.

The 6lb concession to Call The Wind and the fact he hasn't run since October have to be worries, though, and Head added about Call The Wind's big rival: "Holdthasigreen is giving us a lot of weight here and the ground is fine."

The other three runners look completely outclassed and should be playing for third with the race-fit Libello fancied to come out on top of those.

Tom Collins, tipster

What the stats say

Holdthasigreen is two from three at Deauville and won this race last season.

Freddy Head has a 20 per cent strike-rate with his runners in the last five years but he is without a winner from his 17 starters since racing in France resumed.

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