Sottsass Among Big Names for French Racing Return

French racing is set to return at ParisLongchamp on May 11 with no small degree of fanfare as a host of well-known names appeared among the final declarations Friday morning. 

Sottsass, Europe's highest-rated 3-year-old in 2019, will make his first start since finishing third in the 2019 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) in October. The son of Siyouni is entered in the Prix d'Harcourt (G2) over a mile and two furlongs, a race that has attracted a field of nine.

Earlier in the afternoon, Andre Fabre's unbeaten group 1 winner Victor Ludorum sets out on his 3-year-old campaign in the Prix de Fontainebleau (G3), a major trial for the June 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, G1). 

Victor Ludorum will renew his rivalry with Ecrivain and Helter Skelter, both of whom finished behind the son of Shamardal in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) on Arc day.

Stablemate Earthlight is on the sidelines for a few days after suffering a mild fetlock sprain during work Tuesday.

Fabre has a strong hand to play on opening day and is responsible for the likely favorite in the Prix de la Grotte (G3), where Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) third Tropbeau will test her stamina over a mile in a field of 10 fillies that includes the highly regarded Khayzaraan. 

There have been 131 horses declared across the 10-race card. Unsurprisingly, there are also healthy field sizes for the other two meetings Monday, with 155 heading to the jumps fixture at Compiegne and 137 for the mixed evening card at Toulouse. 

Prize-Money Cuts Aimed at Protecting Lower Grades

On Thursday, France Galop announced plans for a restructuring of prize money as the sport scrambles to make up for seven weeks of lost revenues and support racing professionals left in difficulty by the crisis. 

The governing body has adopted what it describes as a progressive strategy, with a 40% cut to prize money for group 1 events but a commitment to maintaining prize-money levels at the lowest rung of the ladder. 

Other pattern races on the flat will suffer a 30% cut, as will all listed and graded races over jumps. An average of 20% will be removed from non-stakes events, but no races will be run at the Paris tracks for less than €19,000, and the lower limit in the regions will be €16,000.

France Galop pledged to return all races to their original 2020 values in 2021, and in another emergency measure, it will not pay breeder's premiums for French-bred jumps winners overseas for the rest of the year.