Rosallion ready to face Prix du Moulin challenge

Rosallion has another opportunity to return to the Group One winner’s enclosure in the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp on Sunday.

Richard Hannon’s stable star broke his top-level duck in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at this track two years ago and last season enjoyed success in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes.

His pursuit of further Group One glory as a four-year-old has so far proved frustrating, however, with nose and neck defeats in the Queen Anne and Sussex Stakes respectively followed by a fourth-placed finish when dropped back to seven furlongs for the City of York Stakes two weeks ago.

Returning to a mile on a track where he has proven his worth in the past, Hannon is hoping his charge can finally prevail.

“He’s in good form, hopefully the ground will be drying out and hopefully the ground will be good by Sunday,” he said.

“He’s fit as a fiddle, he’s won there before and we’re keen to take the race on.

“He has no problem backing up quickly – he went from the Irish Guineas to the St James’s Palace and he takes his racing well and looks after himself. He’s got a solid constitution.

“We gave Henri Matisse 8lb at Goodwood and beat him, we have to give him 6lb on Sunday, so we’re 2lb better off.”

Aidan O’Brien’s Henri Matisse is another with winning form at the Parisian track, having struck Classic gold in the French 2000 Guineas in the spring, while he was just over two lengths behind Rosallion when third in a muddling Sussex Stakes won by 150-1 shot Qirat.

He is one of three runners for O’Brien along with The Lion In Winter, who is yet to strike in four starts this term, and a possible pacemaker in Serengeti.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “Henri Matisse ran on slow ground last year in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and it didn’t go to plan, but hopefully the ground should definitely be better than it was then. The quicker the better for him.

“He has come through Goodwood very well and it is another very tough Group One – you have obviously got Rosallion in it, Lead Artist, and plenty in it.”

Of The Lion In Winter, Armstrong added: “He dropped back down in trip in the Prix Jean Prat and ran an unbelievable race there (when third) and then went back to France (for the Jacques le Marois at Deauville) the last time and the way we rode him that day didn’t work out.

“This race should be different tactics and, hopefully, it will be a different result.

“The engine is still there, just a few things have got to fall right for him.”

A strong raiding party is completed by Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini, Simon and Ed Crisford’s Quddwah and John and Thady Gosden’s Lead Artist.

Dancing Gemini finished a close-up third in the Prix Jacques le Marois three weeks ago, while Quddwah has returned victorious after his two previous trips across the Channel this season, scoring at ParisLongchamp in May and Chantilly in July.

Lead Artist beat Dancing Gemini and Rosallion when landing the Lockinge at Newbury in May and while he failed to fire in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, better is expected on his return this weekend.

Barry Mahon, racing manager for owners Juddmonte, said: “He’s had a nice break since Ascot. We initially planned to go to the Marois and his bloods were just a little bit off, so he had a quiet week before it and missed that race but he’s back in good form. Colin (Keane) had a sit on him on Wednesday and thought he felt great, so we’re looking forward to seeing him.

“They’ve had a lot of rain in France, but I think the forecast is good between now and Sunday, so we’re hopeful that the ground will dry out sufficiently and it will be close to good ground.

“It’s a top-class renewal, as it always is. You’ve got Rosallion, The Lion In Winter, Henri Matisse and Dancing Gemini – they’re all there.

“It’s a top-class Group One, but in fairness we know our horse is a top-class Group One horse, we’re entitled to be there and although after a long break he might need it a little bit, it will set us up for something like the Breeders’ Cup then after.”