Hollie Doyle will maintain her partnership with Marco Botti’s unbeaten Folgaria when the pair take on the Poule D’Essai Des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
She is one of 17 fillies remaining in the French 1000 Guineas and her form received a significant boost at Newmarket when Elmalka, who finished third behind her in the Fred Darling at Newbury, went out and won the 1000 Guineas.
Undefeated in Italy at the age of two, she presented herself at Newbury as an unknown, but she is no longer one.
“It was good to see Roger’s filly win the Guineas and the form got a little boost, the Fred Darling looks pretty solid,” Botti said.
“The plan is to go for it, she’s in good form and we’re happy with her. Hollie Doyle will keep it going and now we just need a bit of luck.
“There’s an extra half a meter, but I still think the mile at Longchamp on a bend probably suits him better than the straight mile at Newmarket, which was the main reason to send him to France instead.”
He continues: “She’s a big filly and at the moment I would say she would prefer a bit of cutting in the ground. She was in good form in Italy on fast ground and soft ground, but our impression is that she would prefer a little ease.
“She won over a mile in Italy but obviously it was a different level, it wouldn’t have been as strong as the French Guineas, that’s for sure.
“It’s exciting, as Roger told me, the pressure is now on us but it was good to see this form working well. We knew she was a nice filly from looking at her work, but we didn’t know not what level she was going to reach. “After Sunday, we know she is doing very well. “
The only other potential UK-trained runner is George Boughey’s Chic Colombine, while Willie McCreery’s Vespertilio and Adrian Murray’s Manhattan Dream could represent Ireland with Aidan O’Brien’s Content and Buttons.
In the French 2000 Guineas, the Poule D’Essai Des Poulains, John and Thady Gosden have gone to Orne and Eben Shaddad, Roger Teal could lead Dancing Gemini and O’Brien has Henry Longfellow and Diego Velazquez at his disposal.
Catch all the action from ParisLongChamp live on Sky Sports Racing.
