Top-class mare Alpinista on her travels again for return in French Group 1

Three-time Group 1-winning mare Alpinista is to kick off her delayed five-year-old career with another trip to Europe, this time to France for the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday.

Sir Mark Prescott’s stable star was one of the success stories of last year when a domestic win in the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks led to three successive wins at the highest level in Germany in the late summer and autumn.

The daughter of Frankel even accounted for subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Torquator Tasso on the first of those when landing the Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in August. The following month, Alpinista made another trip to the continent for the Preis von Europa at Cologne where she won impressively over a mile and a half.

In November, Kirsten Rausing's grey returned to Germany to land the odds and the hat-trick in the Grosser Preis von Bayern at Munich over the same trip.

Alpinista and Luke Morris on Tuesday morning

This year, Prescott has had to play a waiting game with his leading light as well as the rest of the team at Heath House as his string were not firing in the spring, meaning Alpinista missed the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom on June 3.

Prescott said: “Alpinista is in good shape and the plan is to take her to France for the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud on Sunday. It will be good to get her back on track and even better if she can run well. It’s on the quick side over there at present but she’s pretty versatile in that regard.”

Alpinista is also entered in the Group 2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks (2.40) at Haydock on Saturday, for which she is 7-2 second favourite behind Free Wind with the sponsors, but she is unlikely to bid for successive victories in the feature at the Merseyside track.

Prescott added: “Alpinista is also entered in the Lancashire Oaks but that is just a back-up plan in case of strikes or other matters that derail the French trip.“

In her absence, last year's Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Eshaada will be fancied for a contest in which she does not have to shoulder a Group 1 penalty.

The daughter of Muhaarar finished only fifth of six on her return to action in a Group 3 at Newbury in May but has thrived at home since including when partnered by Jim Crowley in a workout in Newmarket at the weekend. The Shadwell Estates mare is 5-1 third favourite with the sponsors.

Trainer Roger Varian said: "The plan is to take Eshaada to the Lancashire Oaks on Saturday where we could also run our other mare Believe In Love. Both go there in good shape and won't mind any rain up there."

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