Can experienced horses take advantage of their draw in the Marcel Boussac?

Sunday: 1.50 Longchamp
Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac - Criterium des Pouliches (Group 1) | 1m | 2yo fillies | ITV

Recent runnings of this Group 1 race have gone to fillies with more experience than most of their rivals and those who fit that profile this year have, for the most part, been drawn where they need to be.

Five of the last seven Marcel Boussac winners had run at least three times and, interestingly, four of the inside five stalls are occupied by horses with five runs behind them.

Aidan O'Brien has won this race four times and Never Ending Story, a Leopardstown Group 3 winner in July, has drawn stall two for her sixth start.

She has been below form in two runs since that career-best effort, but she was hampered in the Moyglare last time and, as a daughter of Dubawi, this new distance should extract more from her.

She will need to reverse the placings of the Prix du Calvados with Wed, however, as Maurizio Guarnieri's filly was mightily impressive in taking that Group 2 prize.

Wed comfortably produced the best Racing Post Rating in this field with that performance but drawing the widest stall is a big negative, for all that she does match the recent experience trend.

Kelina is unbeaten in two starts for Carlos Laffon-Parias and her owner-breeders Wertheimer et FrereCredit: Scott Burton

Both those fillies need to prove their stamina, something the twice-raced Kelina does not have to do.

Carlos Laffon-Parias's daughter of Frankel maintained her unbeaten record with a comfortable win in a Chantilly conditions race last month, a run that also confirmed her liking for soft ground.

There is just one course-and-distance winner in the field, Christopher Head's Group 3 winner Blue Rose Cen, who could easily end up with a soft lead from stall five.

There are plenty of British and Irish challengers, including Breege, placed in two Group 3s in her recent starts, but the final mention goes to 7f Baden-Baden Group 3 winner Habana, who should relish an extra furlong.
Race analysis by Owen Goulding

What they say

Andre Fabre, trainer of Ardent
She is a very promising filly and she is much stronger at this stage than her sister Raclette. She has a nice ability to stay but obviously the ground is a question mark.

Maurizio Guarnieri, trainer of Wed
It was always the plan to supplement. I'm not worried about the extra trip; she handled a straight 1,400 metres [seven furlongs] fine. Everything has gone fine in her preparation. The only question mark is the ground as she has never even worked in heavy ground.

Fozzy Stack, trainer of Aspen Grove
She's in good order and won nicely at the Curragh. We've always liked her; she's always gone well.

John Quinn, trainer of Breege
She's improved with every run and galloped through the line when second in the Prestige at Goodwood, so we think she'll stay. It's a tough race but she's entitled to run.

Philippe Decouz, trainer Start Me Up
We've always liked this filly and she was unbeaten in the spring. She started to grow after that and it was very hot, so I left her alone over the summer. We went to the Prix d'Aumale [third behind Blue Rose Cen] with no thought of winning but just to test her to see whether she had the requisite class – she was a long way off being fully ready. Mickael Barzalona came to ride her work last week and was very keen on her but Andre Fabre changed his plans with Ardent. She has definitely come on for the run. The ground is an unknown but she has shown a good action on the soft in the mornings.

Andreas Wohler, trainer of Habana
She is really well and still looks great. She is in great shape and, although it’s a tough race with a different level of competition, she deserves to take her chance.

Ralph Beckett, trainer of Dandy Alys
She'll enjoy going right-handed and she won't mind the ground.

Dandy Alys (red silks) chases home Streets Of Gold at the CurraghCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Never Ending Story
We always thought this race would suit her and we've had it in our minds for her for a while. She's in good form and seems to have come out of the Moyglare in good shape.

Carlos Laffon-Parias, trainer of Kelina
It wasn't deliberate that she hasn't run at Group level yet; it's just that I had another very good filly for the [Group 3] Aumale, who unfortunately came back lame. The good thing is that she won in soft ground at Chantilly, although if it gets heavy that will be an unknown. She might lack a tiny bit of experience.

Christopher Head, trainer of Blue Rose Cen
She is a very tough filly. She is not very big but she really has a presence and wants to fight. She stays a mile well and she will probably end up over 2,000 metres [a mile and a quarter] next year. I'm really happy with her and she has a nice turn of foot, so the Boussac is the race for her.
Reporting by Scott Burton

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