Prix Jacques le Marois

Moonlight Cloud,Golden Lilac,Most Improved,Immortal Verse,Excelebration,Fallen For,Elusive Kate,Cityscape




if all those are in the field,Excelebration is a short priced favorite,you will find out this weekend when the prices go up,no way in hell he will be any bigger than 6/4 if turning up and you must be able to see that

All I can say is that I would be in no way interested in the horse at that price....no doubt you would think it was buying money

you might not be interested in the price,but the point is,that its just about the correct price and its about what it will be,secondly,no horse on this planet or the next could ever be described as buying money with that total novice jockey on board,the kid is a joke and i would have no doubts that he would have gotten Frankel beaten once or twice already if he was Frankels jockey

HRE - you're not very well named squire

I will be laying the balls off Excelebration if he is anywhere near that ridiculous price you suggest!
That's not to say he's go no chance...of course he's in with a squeak.
If a book was made right now with all 16 going...he'd be at least FOUR times that price!

As I mentioned earlier...this is as tough a 3yo+ group one to price up that I can remember!

I believe being Frankel's 'bítch' has hurt him mentally, and although I'd really like to see him win, because he deserves another decent prize
and it'd silence the Frankel critics, I think he's up against it.

have you had a bang on the head sir? are you seriously suggesting that the following would worry Excelebration


Moonlight Cloud SPRINTER,
Golden Lilac CLEARLY NOT UPTO IT ON LAST 2 RUNS AND HATES SOFT GROUND
Most Improved DONT MAKE ME FU CKING LAUGH,WORST CROP OF 3 YEAR OLDS IN MANY A YEAR AND ONLY SCRAPED HOPE IN THE ST JAMES
Immortal Verse MULLERED BY EXCELEBRATION LAST SEASON
Fallen For you Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz PLEASE
Elusive Kate DECENT FILLY,MIGHT RUN WELL WITH THE ALLOWENCES,BUT NEEDS TO FIND MASSES TO CHALLENGE HIM
Cityscape PROBABLY THE BIGGEST DANGER,BUT FORM IN THE UK NOTHING SPECIAL,FLATTERED BY HIS RUNS OVERSEAS


YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET THE CHANCE TO LAY HIM AT A SHORT PRICE

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT WORKING OUT FOR YOU SIR

HRE - with well over 30 years experience at this game...I can assure you that if Excelebration is 5/4 (and all 16 go) that would be the WORST value I've EVER seen!

Again, that's not to say he CAN'T win...I just don't think he will - good luck if you're on and I'll cheer him home if I'm wrong

we shall just have to wait and see what happens,but if the field remains strong and he goes on to win like an odds on shot,you can then come back with your 30 years experience and post your apologies sir

and your quote of 'frankels b1tch' was very harsh,Excelebration is without doubt one of the best milers of the past number of years and you should not let frankels brilliance cloud that fact and you can totally forget the form of the queen anne,o'briens foolishness was the only reason for the 11 length margin,had he been ridden properly,i would have been 5 lengths at most

Down to 13 runners now...who's defected?
Siyouma was one and I think another was an O'Brien rag (maybe Requisition?)
Any idea of the other one?

I'm very surprised to see Golden Lilac's still loitering with intent.

Farhh might have been the third one, though I'm not certain if he wasn't one of those who dropped out from the original 24 entries.

I can't wait for this race...it's a real conundrum
Any further news on the Gosden duo?

all depends on the going,it is very soft at the minute and drying out by the day,but if there is anymore rain,the race will cut up,cant see more than 8 going to post

HRE - who are you figuring are definites?
And which are doubtful?

Definites-Elusive Kate,Fallen for you,Cityscape,Excelebration,Moonlight Cloud,Siyouman,Tin Horse


Most Improved and Golden Lilac almost certain if it stays dry from now

Ballydoyle not sending any of the other 3

not sure yet about the others entered

Siyouma's already defected, and I'd STILL be surprised if Golden Lilac runs...it doesn't make sense when she has a much better option next week!
Fabre ALWAYS seems to do the right thing with his horses and to run here is a strange move, especially as she was totally outpointed by Elusive Kate over the same C&D a fortnight ago.

You reckon Gosden will run both fillies?

How did you find out Ballydoyle aren't running the bums?

Does anyone know where i can see the decs 4 Sunday ?  Gonna be there

Check www.racingandsports.com.au/form-guide/

They put the major French meetings up with full free form in English. Terrific service.

THE BIG O, checked that site out, is excellent but nothing for MAROIS yet,
maybe nearer the day, unless I have missed something.
NAVEL will be well pleased with that, THANKS A LOT BIG O!!!

Must be 24hrs for our gallic friends, mange tout mange tout Rodney

You have to be somekind of nut to take 5/4 on Excelebration. He has been given an extended break since RA because he tried going toe-to-toe with Frankel. Ballydoyle did that deliberately, they didn't mess up,they wanted to know just how good Frankel is. And now they do!

I am a big fan of Excel and have posted numerous bets on him in the past two seasons on here, but you really have to desperate for a bet to take 5/4.

You can bash Most Improved, but before the Guineas people were saying on here he had no chance due to his foaling date of May. Well, we are now in August and he should be improving, like you'd expect for a lightly raced 3yo.

The bookies will dangle a carrot re Excel and offer 7/4 or bigger. But to be exact is hard due to not knowing the exact participants.

We all know he had a tough race last time so they will take him on.

Moonlight Cloud i'd not label as a sprinter as she has never actually won over 6f, but I do think she destroys the opposition when the going is Softish over sprints trips.

1m on Soft is an unknown.

MI all the way for me, Good or Soft.

Does anyone have a market up for this yet?

Excelebration looks the one but a lack of pace would be a worry - surprised Coolmore aren't running a pacemaker.

If MC turns up id be amazed if she wasnt fav, her figs last time were amazing

The final decs are up on france-galop - all the principals declared.

The Big 0 - thanks for that tip-off...it looks a useful source


I'm surprised that Gosden's pair both go, and Buick has opted to ride Fallen For You while Dettori takes the mount on Elusive Kate.
I did say I preferred FFY of the pair (and I wouldn't have thought most did) but that's two weeks running Buick's choice has caused a raised eyebrow.

PS - the regularly inept Racing Post have Sunday's runners at fcukin' MUNICH but no sign of what is a quality renewal of the Jacques!

http://www.paris-turf.com/reunion/pid57-course.html?idcourse=819377

I see another two have dropped out (just the 11 run) but I'm struggling to remember who they were - I think Reply was one of them, so no great loss there.
It's unforgiveable in this day & age there are no prices available, and at the risk of being ridiculed by HRE, I wouldn't be surprised to see 4/1 the field - anyone else have any theories?

LIAM, which buttons on France Galop do we have to push to get the final declarations, please?

final decs are up on RP

Bazzar - they've just appeared on RP website, though no betting available as yet -

http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/cards/card.sd?race_id=562277&r_date=2012-08-12#raceTabs=sc_

Do you reckon I'm way off with that 4/1 the field quote?

Yes much as it would be nice to get 4/1 I think it far more likely to be 15/8 or 2/1, with MC and Excel possibly joint

Thanks for the info re RP, not going to try and guess the bookies and I
think differently to most punters, so will peruse whatever is put up by
them.
At the moment my fancy is a dec for this, anything over 100/1 will be gratefully accepted.

Despite being a terrific renewal, there are so many question marks about the obvious ones to beat, Moonlight Cloud & Excelebration (which everyone is aware of) that I can't help but push them out on my tissue - I'm playing 'Devil's Advocate' in being the bookie and I figure there are plenty to beat them with!

I'll probably be laughed at but I don't have Immortal Verse in the first SIX in my betting!
A return to last year's form of this race wins it for her in my view, though it's a really big 'IF' after a poor performance over C&D a fortnight ago - that's where my money's going as she'll be great value, but I'm far from confident.

I don't see how anyone can be so dogmatic about this race, and I'd suggest Elusive Kate looks to have everything in her favour, though if it was Buick's decision to partner Fallen For You (and not at Gosden's request) that throws yet another spanner in the works - Dettori should dictate from the front and get things his own way.

O'Brien's Power is the only notable defector from yesterday and this race really does whet the appetite for the aficionado - a decent betting angle could be to lay anything that's odds-on for the frame, as they're all in with a shot!

Roobuck - the more I muse over this race, that 4/1 the field looks likely to me, and no offence intended but I think your 2/1 jt favs quote is way off!
That would make the pair coupled as a 1/2 shot, and that's far too short in a race with such strength in depth.

If they were joints then price possible 9/4. I actually don't want 4/1 as that will make everything else quite tight and depending on the price I want to back MI.

Difference of opinion here, but if Excelebration is 4/1 that would be value and defo worth a saver.

At the end of the day the prices will be what the prices will be and I will have a bet ( or not ) accordingly.

Whatever it should be a great race and just a pity I won't be able to see it

What price are you hoping to get for Most Improved? Double figures?
Like many in this race he's hard to price up.

Naval, you are spot on. I wouldn't take anything less than 3/1 for Excel. Seriously wrong to have him as 5/4.

Mooonlight Cloud will be Fav based on her win last time out and home advantage.


Double figs for MI ? Christ, I would remortgage for that.

^^Prob not a wise move sint

Sint - it's all about opinions and I might be well out, but I have Most Improved at least at 10/1 shot!

What were you thinking he'd be?

I know he posted a faster time than Fallen For You over the same C&D, but the filly impressed me much more, and Most Improved would be a surprise to me if he won this - good luck if you're on

Here's my tissue fwiw ...

No one is on yet Naval.

Cowardly bookies.

11/4 Moonlight
7/2  Excel
5    Fallen 4 u
6    Cityscape
7    Elusive
8    Most improved
8    Golden Lilac
10   Immortal V
25   Tin H
33   Caspar N
50   Indomito

Who wants what

The world waits for liam's prices.......but most importantly his pick

Liam - we're not a million miles away but I tried to make my book close to 100% whereas you are a tight arse
ALL mine are longer!

It's very difficult to price the Gosden duo, and although I prefer Fallen For You (better long term prospect) Elusive Kate ticks more boxes and SHOULD be shorter - I'm intrigued as to who decided the riding arrangements, and Gosden might have been influenced by Dettori (riding from the front) and also that he partnered her in the Falmouth.

A decent effort though squire

PS - I have Elusive Kate shorter than you at 11/2 or 6/1...the rest are longer.
She won snugly last time when I didn't particularly fancy her, and she looks the only pace-setter, which will enable Dettori to get first run.
She's bang in form and has no question marks about her well-being or the conditions of the race.

I have to say again...I'm flabbergasted that Fabre's running Golden Lilac!

Yep, i like Immortal V at the prices, it was defo a sighter for this last time and she's got a back end campaign planned.  EK makes it with cityscape siting close(fancy summink picks them off). Just dont like Excell full stop.Buicks mount looks to be a fast improving filly, cudnt put anyone of her, wheras Gold Lilac doesnt. That leaves Most improved, IV who will both love a rapid pace and Moonlight(not publicly proved over 1m).tho her breeding and run style offer plenty of hope. The 3 rags would need an act of god to oblige.

LIAM, could you please answer my question, I'm not disparaging you, I, like NAVEL, just find it very hard to navigate the France Galop site, please help, thanks in advance.

Bazzar - here are the dec's...on the RP site:

http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/cards/card.sd?race_id=562277&r_date=2012-08-12#raceTabs=sc_

Interesting that JOB stays in Ireland though some will say that having Moore on board will improve Excel's chances. It will be fascinating to see how he has recovered from Ascot.

IV will not want the ground to dry out imo and I would imagine that MI will be very close to the pace as I don't see him as a quickener as such and he will want to use his stamina and help stretch that of MC.

Funny how people see things differently but think FFY was very flattered by her Ascot win. Lots of the others in that race not suited by soft and Starscope couldn't win a Listed race next time. Very surprised Buick picked her tbh and 5/1 would be way off in my mind.

Baz u go in via the professianals tab, then races and scroll down to decs.

Navel, I got your earlier post and thanked you, but for the future if Liams help works it's very valuable.

Thanks a LOT Liam, worked perfectly, feel much better now.

Paddy Power have opened a book but it's around 120%
I'm certain the top two will drift, but not to the 4/1 I wrongly predicted.
The rest I got spot on

If Immortal Verse is 16's with just the ONE show available, I'm salivating at what I'll get for here on here!
To get my 100% book I pushed her out to a maximum of 14, and still considered that great value.

I'll be laying the balls off the front two (paired) at around 8/13, as there are plenty of holes in them.
They're two proper group one performers but this race is really wide open, and I won't be scared to lay them, even for the frame!


Excelebration 2/1
Moonlight Cloud 5/2
Elusive Kate 13/2
Fallen For You 10/1
Golden Lilac 10/1
Most Improved 12/1
Cityscape 12/1
Immortal Verse 16/1
Tin Horse 33/1
Caspar Netscher 33/1
Indomito 40/1

sint currently talking to his financial advisor on remortgage options.....only to find PP allow him £5 e/w

I would take that price but unable to play with PP and anyway would want to wait until a few more price up. On the whole the prices seem about right thought the differential between Excel and IV is too big - if liam was keen on her at 10s heaven knows what he'll do at 16s?

Put my money where my big gob is and backed MI with PP. They have laid me over a ton so fair ebough. NRNB.

Sint - I think that price could well be beaten...maybe you should have waited a bit longer.
You'd be gutted if Ladbrokes were 16's

Ryan Moore thats the best news i have had all year

and wtf is Buick picking FFY ahead of EK for will make a complete mug of himself,just like he did with the Fugue the other week

HRE - maybe the choice was made for him?

PS - you did well predicting who'd go and who'd defect...how did you find out?

Yeah JOB was always staying home for sunday,delighted with the Moore booking tho,i cant actually back Excel now will wait and see what the prices are on sat night and play then


and just some stable contacts passed on the info

I could be mistaken but is Joey suspended?

oh is this his 7 day ban? his name was down to ride all the obrien horses on the ATR website earlier

HRE I thought you said you were leaving the forum?

His real name is TONY BLAIR, explains everything.

Don't start down that route bazzar please. Lets keep it to racing and this is a very enjoyable thread. thanks

Naval, If I see a price and I like it and think it is acceptable I take it. No point in hanging around trying to get more, it usually leads to disappointment!

Segal is going to kibosh something in this race. 12/1 about a last time out G1 winner is plenty big enough for me, win lose or draw.

Sint - fair enough mate...we all use different tactics I suppose, though I'm a greaser for getting the best prices available!

I always go with the value, and the gamble for me in this race, is banking on Immortal Verse coming back to form - I do concede it's a long-shot, but if she does roar back, her best form could just about win this.

I'm sure she didn't run her race behind Frankel & Excelebration at Ascot, and I remember that powerful burst she produced in this race last season to scythe down the mighty Goldikova.

As you know, she's the price she is because of her run just a fortnight ago, but these fillies are strange creatures sometimes and it wouldn't really be a surprise to me.

Agree sint that has PW written all over it but then so does IV.

Hoping one of the others matches the price in due course.

When Goldikova won this race in 2008 on good she clocked a ridiculously fast 93.50 seconds for the mile which suggests that the race
isn't actually over 1m but probably 7 3/4f. If it comes up good on sunday the winner is likely to have to have plenty of pace, Excelebration
and Moonlight cloud look to have the most pace in this field. Connections of Excelebration appear to have decided to keep him to a mile
and this is the only suitable race there has been for him since Ascot. He deserves to be favourite but is probably priced correctly
given that Moonlight Cloud could be rapidly improving. If the ground is genuinely good to soft or softer the race is probably more wide
open. Cracking line up but not one I can see any value in .Good luck.

Roobuck, it was not me who chose to use stupid and erroneous statements like
showing buttocks in shop windows, firstly if SAINT NICHOLAS ABBEY did not win
the KING GEORGE 6TH AND QUEEN ELIZABETH stakes, in MACDONALDS, then compound
his stupidity even further by doing the same if ELS won the open, but his
choice of window was different, never once has he shown ANY humility and
apologised for his stupidity, but has used bluff and bluster in the hope
we will forget and respect him.
It was NOT me who reminded everyone that he had said he would never post on the forum, it was YOU, I just pointed out his folly.
Even during his posts on this particular thread he takes an antagonistic and
offensive attitude about horses and their connections.

Gonna eat my words now, but am warming to Tin Horse @33s+ ... any views ??

'i will bare my arse in bazzar's back garden if Excelebration does not win this race'


absolute certainty

liam - Tin Horse? He has won a Classic so he must have some talent but look at the runners in that race. Your 'act of god' comment was about right imo....watch it go and win now.

Bazzar, I think you misunderstood me. It was the mention of Tony Blair and the possible political angle that I wanted to avoid. Be fair you have been known to go off at a tangent. I would also suggest you simply ignore HRE, he or she is not worth the bother of getting flustered about and don't let his last post rile you.

Roo,I wud only consider backing TH if was like a road. Will monitor times there today and try and have a mooch down the straight after racing.

with a glass of champagne obviously. Have a great time, would appreciate if you could post your thoughts on the times/going

BLAIR is known for being an arrant liar and rogue, HRE as you refer to him is a LIAR.

Does anyone have the 10 year trends for this .. Racecaller?

HRE, I look forward to it, my back garden is a window box on the 8th floor of the flats I live in.

Moonlight Cloud oozed serious class last time. Hopefully you guys give me a fair price tomorrow :)

Makes you wonder how she got beaten at ROYAL ASCOT, really poor ride by JARNET, IN MY OPINION.

Sky Bet have joined the party today after Paddy gave them their 'sighter' with this market, and they've only been fractionally less tight, pushing Excelebration out to 9/4 (from PP 2/1 quote) & Moonlight Cloud 3/1 (from 5/2) - when the other turds bother to make an effort, I think one of them should find the balls to lay these eminently beatable pair at the head of the market - they're far too short!

C'mon Betfair...move your arses, and get a market sorted!

market up on here.

Stan are 14/1 for Most Improved. PP cut him to 11/1. VC go 9/1.

Couldn't wait any lonfer for Lads as depart on holiday later so taken 12s for MI. May have also had an interest/saver on IV but going now Good and times that I can see back this up and think this filly needs a bit of cut. The rain may come but so be it.

Good luck all

Have a nice holiday Roo.

Roo - good ground? That's a real bummer for the ones that prefer cut, especially Immortal Verse, as Pivotal's progeny do excel on soft ground.
She's also by a Sadler's Wells mare so that doesn't enhance her prospects

Sariska (one of the best Pivotal's) looked fantastic in the Irish Oaks on bottomless ground, yet still had the class to win under faster conditions, so I can't give up hope - maybe she'll be a big drifter in the market, but there's no definite evidence she NEEDS give.

Maybe the faster conditions she encountered behind Frankel at Ascot was the reason she under-performed by a few pounds (in relation to Excelebration) so it has to be a concern, but I'm not throwing the towel in yet - on the plus side...virtually ALL the field would prefer a bit of give in the ground.

These things happen sometimes...Teenoso was assumed to be a mudlark, but saved his career best (by some way) for his King George win on rattling hard ground which surprised everyone - you don't know until you try

I think Moonlight Cloud's last win was probably the best performance by any of these but I won't be backing her with doubts about the distance. Immortal Verse did me a big favour in this last year but I couldn't have her this time. Excelebration was the second best miler around last season but he'd need to improve in line with the wfa scale to remain that this year and I don't see that he has. I have him only 3lbs better than last year, he should be thereabouts but he's vulnerable to an improver. In my view, Fallen For You showed the best 3yo mile form when winning the Coronation Stakes, better than anything I've seen from the colts. Looking at her overall record, I'm not sure she's the most reliable prospect to run her race but the price more than allows for that. If she can repeat her Ascot form I think she's the one to beat, with the allowances in her favour.

Stan James went 14/1 MI, now 8/1.. Looks like my £50 e/w has them worried!

Can you believe every booky had this priced up by 6pm, except for the jokers Korral. They still have no prices up NOW.

The top price on MI is now MI, lets see what this cowardly firm offers first show.

Hope Liam got on at the decent prices for Tin Horse - quickish ground as required but now been pricewised

Excelebration  has been unlucky in coming up against the equine equivalent of Usain Bolt  in most of his group one races; as with all really good horses he is a model of consistency  and of course the fact that he is tipped up by HRE  increases my confidence   .Cityscape might have preferred a little cut but Doyle  is a top  class Jockey  and will get the best out of that long stride of his,  so take him as the danger

Racing Post‏@Racing_Post

Ryan Moore stood down from his ride on Excelebration in the Prix Jacques le Marois following Deauville fall

Racing Post ‏@Racing_Post
Christophe Soumillon replaces Ryan Moore on Excelebration in the Prix Jacques le Marois.

Excel a good thing

well done HRE & AT.

MI ran abysmally.

A few disappointing runs there, sint, not least my bet. I don't think it turned out to be as good a race it looked on paper but nobody can say Excelebration didn't deserve that. Also great to see Famous Name finally get a Gp2, he's been good enough to win a few of those over the last few years.

I couldn't have got Excelebration more wrong

W/D to the Excelebration fans...I have to admit my reservations about his well-being were way off.

It was quite a disappointing race really, as so many failed to show up.
Even though he wins from a top-class field, I still get the impression he's a shade below champions like Canford Cliffs & Goldikova - maybe I'm being unfair to him, but he's sure to have his chances again to shine in Frankel's absence, and shut me up!

A bit of an anti-climax in the end, and I echo Figgis' comments above.

Good winner in the end. Really dug deep at the 3 pole to close down the gap on CityScape and ElusiveKate...drew level at the 150 and then pulled away nicely...maybe that Cox Plate entry is quite warranted now. Breeders Cup Mile would be nice too as he would have the cruising speed and stamina to stick with the front runners early and then try and pour it on down the stretch....best not to mess about with entries in this country given that they'd want to steer clear of Frankel.

Moonlight Cloud...Another tremendous Jarnet masterpiece. Before the race I thought he'd just keep it simple and pull wide for a simple run through instead he opts to weave through the field and runs into the backside of Most Improved losing all chance. Shame...she was travelling really well at that stage. Seemed like he completely sh*t himself when she got chopped up.

JARNET the SPENSER of France, imo.

Most Improved never travelling and Fallon was working away after a few furlongs.. Very strange performance.

Freddie Heaf reckons Moonlight Cloud should have won. Badly hampered. Moulin next.

i thought Most Improved was having a rough passage throughout first couple of furlongs,was that enough for the horse to down tools/injured?

Most Improved ran exactly like his dad did in the same race.

Lawman really attacked his races in the French Derby and Jean Prat but when he got to the Marois he just couldnt handle the older horses....faded to plum last.

Should head Stateside where he can bully the yank horses off a slow pace....that race Aussie Rules won at Keeneland...shadwell mile g1 would fit the bill.