Prix de la Grotte: tipster analysis and trainer quotes for key fillies' trial

12.25 LongchampPrix de la Grotte (Group 3) | 1m | 3yo fillies | SSR

French maestro Andre Fabre has won the Prix de la Grotte on eight occasions since 1990, most recently with Musis Amica in 2018, and he will test the Classic claims of Tropbeau in this year's edition.

The Lady Bamford-owned filly, who was purchased for €180,000 at the breeze-up sales last year, lost her maiden tag at the second attempt and quickly progressed into a top-class juvenile with successes in the Group 3 Prix Six Perfections and Group 2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville.

She wasn't able to record the four-timer when third in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket on her final start last year, but she stayed on well from a poor position and can be marked up for that effort having been hampered at a crucial stage.

Tropbeau (maroon silks): last seen finishing third in Newmarket's Cheveley Park StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Tropbeau is clearly an exciting sort and Fabre will probably have the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas) on his mind, but she didn't perform first time up last year and the fact that Fabre believes she will need the run again after a layoff is enough reason to oppose her at the prices. The step up to a mile isn't guaranteed to suit, either.

The market has the Grotte down as a two-horse race and although I agree, they might have the protagonists the wrong way around as Freddy Head's Khayzaraan may prove sharper on her return.

Owned by Sheikh Hamdan, Khayzaraan boasts one of the most fashionable pedigrees at the moment (by Kingman out of a Dubawi mare) and warranted a step up in grade after dominating start-to-finish victories in maiden and conditions events last term.

She looks well suited to the mile trip, has taken a leap forward for each of her three outings and might be left alone on the front-end once again.

Of the others, Prix Miesque winner Dream And Do is worth a second look under Maxime Guyon, while Kraquante could prove to be overpriced if she bounces back to the form of her course victory here in October.

Tom Collins, tipster

Fabre readies fillies for Grotte test

There is no point running your horse in a trial race if you are not expecting to learn something, and that is certainly the approach Andre Fabre is taking in this contest.

The multiple champion trainer saddles Tropbeau and Tickle Me Green in the Prix de la Grotte, a race won by the likes of Divine Proportions, Zarkava, Beauty Parlour and Qemah this century, and is hoping to learn which direction to take with his fillies.

Tropbeau, owned by Lady Bamford, ended last season with a third in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket and is expected to improve for the outing, with Fabre also unsure if the trip will stretch his filly who is closely related to a number of smart sprinters.

Zarkava: winner of the Prix de la Grotte in 2008Credit: Edward Whitaker

She is joined by stablemate Tickle Me Green, who has come to Fabre from Markus Klug in Germany, and the trainer said: "Tropbeau will need the race as she is quite a laidback filly and she has some condition. I'm also not sure about the trip with her at the moment.

"Tickle Me Green is a very beautiful filly. It's a big step up for her but she is progressive."

Khayzaraan is another filly taking a notable step up in grade after two wide-margin wins last year, and her trainer Freddy Head said: "She's a nice filly. I thought she was impressive in her two wins and she's doing well. She's looked good so far but we'll find out more about her here."

A significant amount of rain fell on Longchamp on Saturday night and the prospect of easy ground is giving trainer Fabrice Chappet encouragement about the chances of Kraquante.

He said: "She's in good form and she ran well at Longchamp last year on soft ground. She's been working well this year and will like the ground. There are a few good fillies in this race but she is definitely a challenger."

Trainer Alex Pantall describes himself as being on a "fact-finding mission" with Honey Cake, while Pia Brandt believes it is the natural progression to run Quiet Times in this contest having won a Listed race last time.

Marly is also stepping up in class after a narrow win last time out and her trainer Andrea Marcailis said: "She won a Class 2 well at the end of her two-year-old season and I like her a lot.

"I think the form reads better than a Class 2 but now she is up against good fillies including Tropbeau of Monsieur Fabre's, who I would say is among favourites for the Poule d'Essai. I’m trying her here to see if she is up to running in the Classic."

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