Beneath the French capital's baking skies, equine brilliance radiated from the turf of ParisLongchamp. It's two afternoons these days. And Saturday's card featured many of the weekend's stars. In the hands of Hollie Doyle, Trueshan stormed four lengths clear of the Prix du Cadran field. Sea Silk Road took the Prix de Royallieu, Horizon Dore the Prix Dollar. Isaac Shelby then pushed to second in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein, denied victory by the Crisfords' Poker Face.
This was Frankie Dettori's last weekend riding in France. But not all Longchamp's stars hailed from racing. Lawrence Dellaglio was over on an excursion, joining Frankie and Ruby Walsh at Saturday night's Racing Breaks Celebrity Drinks Evening. Hosted by Tom Stanley, Lee Mottershead was on stage as another panel member, primed and prepared, his iPad a handy assistant in expert punditry.
Next day, the big race was placed under the spotlight. Westover, Onesto and the supplemented Continuous all beaten by Ace Impact's steal round the outside. Not this year a victory for the Germans. Neither for our ambassador, Jim Crowley, who ran to ninth on Hukum. And still the Japanese wait for their win, Through Seven Seas making it to fourth.
Before the Arc, though, excitement in the Boussac. Opera Singer left five lengths of daylight between her and Rose Bloom, with Blue Rose Cen back to winning ways in the Prix de l'Opéra a few races later. Heroics again in the Prix de l'Abbaye, as Jason Hart steered Highfield Princess to victory for John Quinn and an owners group enthusiastically chaperoned by John Fairley.