Filly Teresa Mendoza Draws Well in Prix de l'Abbaye

Only five horses in the last eight editions of the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (G1) have finished in the first three from a double-figure draw and four of those winners came from stall five or lower.

That will make this year's sprint Oct. 2 an enticing prospect for draw punters because only one of the top eight in the overnight market will come from those bottom five stalls and that is Teresa Mendoza , who will face males. The Ken Condon-trained filly ran the best race of her career when beaten a neck into second by Mitbaahy  at Newbury last time and is two pounds better off at the weights with that rival. Combine that with her better draw—Mitbaahy is in 15—and Teresa Mendoza should reverse the places.

"Teresa Mendoza is coming here on the back of a career-best effort and the owner has sportingly decided to let her take her chance," Condon said. "She's got a nice draw and seems to be in great form so we're hoping for a big run."

Irish-trained sprinters have won two of the past ten editions of the race, including last year's winner A Case of You . He came from stall five 12 months ago, though, and is out in 19 this season. Maarek was the other Irish winner and he came from stall seven, which is the place from which overnight favorite The Platinum Queen  will emerge on Sunday.

A juvenile filly facing males and older, The Platinum Queen's chance appears to rest on her getting all the allowances from the older horses and she couldn't quite take advantage of a similar situation in the Nunthorpe. However, there is no Highfield Princess  in this line-up and she might have the speed to cross to the rail.

The form of her second to Trillium  at Doncaster took a knock when that rival was well held in the Cheveley Park at Newmarket last week, though, so she might need to improve again.

The final word has to go to Berneuil , who won the principal trial for this race, the Prix du Petit Couvert, for the second year in a row over course and distance last month. He couldn't get competitive in this from stall 14 last year and has had no luck again this time, drawing 18.

Plenty have tried and none have succeeded for 44 years, yet the betting suggests this could be the day another 2-year-old beats their elders to win the Abbaye.

Every juvenile runner has been beaten since Sigy scored impressively for Freddy and Criquette Head in 1978, though Superstar Leo and Kingsgate Native managed second places among the 16 to have had a go since the turn of the century. However, The Platinum Queen has proved herself against older horses, beating all but Highfield Princess in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York in August.

The speedy filly is owned by Middleham Park Racing, whose racing manager Tim Palin said: "She's come out of the Flying Childers very well and she was unlucky in that—she was in front a yard before the line and a yard after. This four-furlongs-and-213 yards is her playing at home and the race usually suits prominent racers and those drawn in single figures.

"It's a wide-open race but arguably she has the best recent form as she was second to a world-class mare at York."

The Prix de l'Abbaye is a Breeders' Cup Challenge event for the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keenleand.