Prix de Fontainebleau: Victor Ludorum faces high-class rivals in Guineas trial

Prix de Fontainebleau (Group 3) | 1m | 3yo colts | SSR

Make sure you have your eyes fixed to the television screen when Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) favourite Victor Ludorum makes his return to the track in this Group 3 contest.

Unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile and already a Group 1 winner thanks to a three-quarter-length defeat of Alson in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at this track in October, Victor Ludorum is one of the most exciting colts in France and is sure to be heavily fancied in the market as he bids to extend his winning sequence.

There are very few negative points to mention about the chance of this three-year-old adding a fourth success to his name.

He has proved himself on good and very soft ground, so conditions aren't a problem. We also know that he has more than enough gears to win this kind of race. He stays a mile very well indeed and trainer Andre Fabre is convinced that he will be a better horse this year than last.

Victor Ludorum: can continue his unbeaten record at LongchampCredit: Edward Whitaker

The only negative is the fact he will go off an odds-on favourite. But as odds-on favourites go, he looks a pretty solid one. His claims are strengthened further by the fact that he has had a stress-free winter and is proven when fresh. Hopefully we will witness something special.

If you're looking to take him on, his biggest danger according to the market is the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Helter Skelter.

Boasting a similar racing style to Victor Ludorum (regularly held up to come with a late run), Helter Skelter may attempt to get the jump on the jolly, who beat him by a length-and-a-quarter in the Lagardere last time.

It is not easy to envisage the form being reversed, though he clearly has a big engine and may well develop into a Group winner further down the line.

The value for each-way and forecast players in this eight-runner contest lies with Ecrivain, who finished one place ahead of Helter Skelter in the Lagardere and travelled well for a long way in behind the pace.

His trainer, Carlos Laffan-Parias has described him as a proper Group 1 horse and his forecast odds of 13-2 looks a tad too big.

Tom Collins, tipster

What the stats say

A lack of a previous run this season is usually considered a negative, but this race is often used as a starting point for Group-class milers and the change of date should not alter that fact.

Eight of the last ten Prix de Fontainebleau winners were making their seasonal reappearance, with only Glaswegian (2011) and Dicton (2016) having enjoyed a prep run before taking this.

What the connections say

Alex Pantall, trainer of The Summit
He ran well first time up and I think he has come forward since then. He is in good form and now is up against the cream. There is no way of knowing the effect of having run and then waited but I've had no problems during his preparation.

Andre Fabre, trainer of Victor Ludorum
He's doing well and I'm very happy with him and with how he has wintered. It's just a case of seeing how he does now but I'm quite confident about his chances.

Fabrice Chappet, trainer of Pisanello
He will like the ground, although he's a good horse on any going. It is going to be a tough test for him this time as there are three very good other horses. It will help give us an idea of where we are going and I think he will run a good race. He deserves to run a race like this.

Jean-Claude Rouget, trainer of Helter Skelter
He has grown some over the winter. He was badly drawn in the Lagardere and so we had to ride him in behind, while [Yutaka] Take was not too hard on him in the finish.

Freddy Head, trainer of Devil
He won over six [furlongs] last year but I'm sure he will stay. He's a nice horse and he's in very good form. I think he'll run a good race.

Carlos Laffon-Parias, trainer of Ecrivain
He has developed well from two to three and is mentally very strong. Soft ground didn't bother him last year and he has won at Longchamp. I think there are three proper Group 1 horses in the race, Victor Ludorum, Helter Skelter and Ecrivain. It will be a case of which one is most ready and which one handles the ground best but he has worked well and I'm happy with him.

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