Fev Rover 'In Serious Form' for Marcel Boussac

With only the Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) ahead of it in the calendar among group 1 races for 2-year-old fillies at a similar distance, the Oct. 4 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac (G1) at ParisLongchamp is often a race which goes to a horse who steps forward on what they have previously shown. 

Fev Rover already has a group 2 on deep ground to her name having shrugged off unfavorable conditions and a race not really run to suit to beat a pair of future group 3 winners in Plainchant and the reopposing King's Harlequin at Deauville.

Richard Fahey has opted to come to this mile test off a score in the Aug. 22 Shadwell Prix du Calvados (G2) rather than wait five days for the Fillies' Mile (G1), as Fev Rover bids to add a Marcel Boussac to the trainer's win in the colts' equivalent with Wootton Bassett. 

"She's in serious form, and Richard Fahey feels she has become a far more polished filly," said Nick Bradley, the syndicate manager for Fev Rover. "We would prefer it to be good ground rather than heavy, but I expect that goes for everyone else in the field. We are going with lots of confidence."

Of King's Harlequin, trainer Nicolas Clement said: "She's a course-and-distance winner as she won the Prix d'Aumale (G3) as a prep race. I think that's a huge plus. We've a top jockey in Christophe Soumillon who knows the track very well. Our filly is experienced and has trained really well for the race."

Tiger Tanaka has enjoyed a fairy-tale rise through the ranks from claimer to being group 2-placed and, most recently, the winner of the Prix Francois Boutin (G3) on desperate ground. 

"The filly is better than ever, and I think the fact that she is fresh will certainly be a help," said Tiger Tanaka's trainer, Charley Rossi. "The track won't bother her and she is well drawn, so I'm crossing my fingers. The Robert Papin was the first time she had run on a straight track and over too short a trip, but after the line she was still accelerating."

Of the less-exposed French-trained fillies, La Jonction is unbeaten and represents shrewd connections when it comes to 2-year-olds, while Carlos Laffon-Parias turns out Tasmania quickly and has a decent record of hitting the board in the Boussac with lightly raced types. 

"This is a very big step up in class, but she has won in good style twice," said Didier Guillemin, the trainer of La Jonction. "She is well bred and stays the trip well, so we'll give it a try. We'll be delighted if she is placed."

Of Tasmania, trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias said: "I've always liked the filly, and she is among my best 2-year-olds. She has recovered well from her run, and although it is not my style to run in a group 1 with just a 10-day gap, I feel she can cope, while she is from a family that handles soft ground well."

Five Set for Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere

The Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) for 2-year-old colts kicks off the Sunday action at ParisLongchamp, and five will go postward, led by Coventry Stakes (G2) winner Nando Parrado, who was the runner-up in the Aug. 23 Darley Prix Morny—Finale des Darley Series (G1) at Deauville. Sealiway, second in the Sept. 6 Prix la Rochette (G3), GAIN Railway Stakes (G2) winner Laws of Indices, Darley Prix de Cabourg (G3) winner Cairn Gorm, and longshot Libertine complete the lineup.