Exciting Ghaiyyath bids to take first Group 1 step in his giant stride in Ganay

Prix Ganay (Group 1) 4yo+ | 1m2½f | Sky

Three of the five runners for the opening salvo of Europe's Group 1 season have already won at this level, yet such was the impression left by Ghaiyyath's runaway success in last month's Prix d'Harcourt that the build-up has been dominated by Charlie Appleby's colt, who will be making his first start in such rarified company.

To those present for his demonstration at Longchamp in September in the Group 3 Prix du Prince d'Orange, a winning return to the course three weeks ago was nothing less than expected.

But the way that William Buick took the race by the scruff of the neck from the start left the hope that Ghaiyyath is a horse who is only just getting started.

Appleby has never hid his ambitions for the son of Dubawi, with the Arc back here in just over five months' time frequently cropping up in public utterances.

He said: "We were very pleased with Ghaiyyath’s performance in the Prix d’Harcourt and he came out of the race well. This is his acid test, going into G1 company, but he has shown a high level of form on his last two starts at Longchamp and we're going into this race very positively.

"He took a lead in the Prix du Prince d’Orange and made all in the Prix d’Harcourt. He's a horse who likes to get into a rhythm – it's fine if there's a decent pace with something in front of him, but he's happy enough making his own running as well.

"We've always felt that he's potentially up to this class and we'll find out this weekend."

Pros Ghaiyyath's formidable build clearly houses a Rollys Royce engine and it will take a very good horse to get past him if in the same form as last time

Cons Study Of Man and Waldgeist set a higher standard than he has so far encountered and it remains to be seen how he does in a battle

Study Of Man: return of a Jockey Club hero

Study Of Man justified a big reputation and some enviable genetic inheritance when storming to success in the Qipco Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly last June.

The son of Deep Impact is out of a daughter of the mighty Miesque and might have easily been spirited away to stud at the end of his three-year-old career. Instead, Pascal Bary and owners the Niarchos family have elected to try to earn further honours with Study Of Man, who has had only seven races.

Things didn't quite play out for Bary and the team in the second half of 2018 – arguably the strain of getting him to his Classic after a single juvenile appearance began to show – as Study Of Man never landed a blow in the Irish Champion Stakes, then had to contend with the widest draw of all on his first try at a mile and a half in the Arc.

Whether his long-term future remains at this intermediate trip or back up at 1m4f remains to be seen, but connections are happy to use this race as a springboard for the rest of the season.

Alan Cooper, racing manager to the Niarchos Family, said: "He’s strengthened up over the winter a lot and the Ganay is the first step in what we hope will be a good year.

"The programme is to run here with a view to going to the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, but obviously that is subject to review and he’s also entered in the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

"After the Arc Pascal [Bary] and Stephane [Pasquier] felt that he didn’t quite get home, especially from his wide draw, so we’re dropping back to a mile and a quarter. It’s his first run since the beginning of October and he could be a bit race-rusty but he's in good form."

Pros Ghaiyyath could set the race up for a closer and Study Of Man has a definite turn of foot, as he showed in his French Derby win at this trip

Cons First run of the year and arguably wasn't quite at his best after the Jockey Club last year

KEY STAT
4 out 11 . . . the number of Classic winners to land the Prix Ganay in the last 20 years

Irish Derby winner Dylan Thomas stretches clear of Irish Wells to win the 2007 Prix Ganay, one of four Classic winners in the last 20 years to follow up at Longchamp the following springCredit: Scoopdyga.com

Fabre: Waldgeist and Soleil Marin fly the flag

Andre Fabre is tied with three other trainers on five wins in the Ganay and, although it is unlikely that securing sole possession of the record is high on his list of priorities, his two runners demand close inspection.

Waldgeist had a fine campaign at four, landing three stakes wins, including a second Group 1 success in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, before arguably running up to his best when fourth to Enable in the Arc.

He was unable to reproduce that effort when a distant fifth behind the same rival at the Breeders' Cup, then had a luckless trip around Sha Tin in the Hong Kong Vase.

"He has had a long winter break and has been training well," said Fabre. "Last year he started the season earlier with some easy entries, but I decided to keep him fresh to start in the Ganay and then we'll see. He's training well and it's unlikely to be tactical as the favourite [Ghaiyyath] is a super galloper."

Soleil Marin may have been flattered by getting to within a length and a half of a heavily eased Ghaiyyath three weeks ago, but he showed a smart turn of foot to be best of the rest and, despite being the lowest rated of the five, should not be dismissed lightly.

Fabre said: "I was delighted with him in the Prix d’Harcourt. My wife bred him and so I’ve always liked him; he's a really genuine horse and does well every time he runs. Obviously, he'll be ridden for a place and we’ll see what happens."

Waldgeist Pros Tough and classy, he should enjoy the way the race is set up for his closing burst

Waldgeist Cons The drop back to an extended mile and a quarter is not ideal and he'll surely come on for the run

Soleil Marin Pros Showed a nice change of gear in the Harcourt and may still be on the upgrade at five

Soleil Marin Cons Had race fitness on his side in the Harcourt and needs to improve again

Intellogent: entitled to improve

Intellogent finished only a length behind Study Of Man in a frantic finish to the Jockey Club but the lesson drawn by trainer Fabrice Chappet was that, at the age of three, he was best served by dropping back to a mile

That ploy was vindicated when securing his Group 1 in the Qatar Prix Jean Prat, but Chappet is now determined to explore Intellogent's abilities back up in trip.

The Intello colt was not given too hard a time in third behind Ghaiyyath and Soleil Marin on his return to action and Chappet expects improvement, having settled on the Ganay rather than the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown.

"We'll go down the route of the best races at intermediate trips," said Chappet. "Intellogent ran well on his comeback, bearing in mind he hadn't run for 200 days and was giving plenty of weight away

Pros Should get closer to his Harcourt conquerors at level weights

Cons Needs to confirm trainer's belief he needs a mile and a quarter

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