Watch Me bids to join illustrious roll of honour in Prix Jacques le Marois

Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (Group 1)1m | 3yo+ colts & fillies

Watch Me bids to join some illustrious names in becoming the fourth three-year-old filly this century to land this prestigious mile prize, which is worth £1 million in total.

Six Perfections, Immortal Verse and, most recently, Alpha Centauri, are the only others of her age and sex to have triumphed in the Marois since 2000.

Watch Me was unlucky when sixth in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches but the dominance of her victory in the Coronation Stakes, where she sauntered past dual 1,000 Guineas winner Hermosa, left little doubt the three-year-old is a very talented filly.

Sent into open company for the first time, she attempts to go one better in this race than her sire Olympic Glory, who just failed to reel in Moonlight Cloud in 2013.

"She is really well and the gap since Ascot has given her plenty of time to recuperate and build up to this race," said trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. "We know the straight course won’t be a problem because she won the Imprudence and has worked well in preparation for this target so everything is in order."

Record of three-year-old fillies

Not including pacemakers, 22 fillies from the Classic generation have run in the Prix Jacques le Marois since 2000. In addition to the three winners, there have been four three-year-old fillies placed. Among those to have found the task beyond them were Rizeena and Natagora, while Divine Proportions sustained an injury when finishing fourth and Banks Hill suffered serious interference close home.

Changes could help Study Of Man

The winner of last season's Qipco Prix du Jockey Club, Study Of Man now bids to add Group 1 success over a mile to his tally.

After two excellent efforts in the Ganay and the Prix d'Ispahan, the Deep Impact colt was caught out in a tactical prep run last month.

Study Of Man parades on the Chantilly turf after winning the 2018 Qipco Prix du Jockey ClubCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The Niarchos' racing manager Alan Cooper said: "We've got a pacemaker [Vocal Music] in this time because the Messidor turned into a two-furlong sprint, which certainly didn't suit us, while we’ve added a pair of blinkers as well.

"Pascal [Bary] and Stephane [Pasquier] feel he was a bit rusty in his last race and that he's come forward since. We hope the combination of all those things should produce a better performance. I think physically he is a stronger horse this year even in comparison to the end of last year so that’s another factor in his favour."

Romanised returns for second try

Robert Ng is another owner who fields two in the hope of lifting the prize, with Romanised seemingly the first string over Success Days, both trained by Ken Condon.

Romanised was fifth in this race last year but produced his best Racing Post Rating since winning the 2018 Irish 2,000 Guineas when accounting for Hey Gaman over seven furlongs at the Curragh last month.

Romanised (in front) defeats Hey Gaman in the Minstrel Stakes at the CurraghCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Success Days has recorded his best form over a mile and a quarter and should ensure a target for his stablemate to aim at.

"All seems fine with Romanised and hopefully we don't get too many showers as he'd prefer the ground a little quicker than it is at the minute [good to soft]," said Condon.

"Hopefully he can put up a good performance after his win in the Minstrel Stakes last time, although he's taking on horses with some smart pieces of form. Success Days joins him and won't mind the slow side of good ground."

What they say

Yann Barberot, trainer of Graignes
He had some excuses last time. The ground came up too fast for him in the Jean Prat and they went very fast and he pulled very hard. You can’t finish off your race properly in those circumstances. He wound up behind Too Darn Hot and when he took off that somewhat broke my horse’s heart. It was obviously disappointing. We were going to wait for the Prix Daphnis next week because he’s perhaps better around a turn but the owner loves a challenge.

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Line Of Duty
Line Of Duty has won twice over a mile and hopefully there will be a bit of ease in the ground at Deauville. He didn’t stay a mile and a half in the Derby and the ground was too quick for him as well. We have left the cheekpieces on to help him travel and are hoping he can rekindle his two-year-old form, which should see him make the places.

Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager to Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, owners of Shaman
I think if the Shaman who was second in the Poule d'Essai turns up then he has a big hand to play. He doesn't have a blinding turn of foot but a long acceleration and, last time at Ascot, they went very hard from the start and he got a little further back than ideal. He ran well but it was difficult to make up ground.

A local view of the ground

The going was officially good to soft (3.3 on the penetrometer) on Saturday but locally-based Yann Barberot, trainer of Graignes, expects it to ride faster. "There has been a lot of wind to dry it out. We had rain on Friday but that has mostly come out of the ground."

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