Skalleti© Photo Healy Racing
Jerome Reynier is hoping for rain as he prepares his two-time Prix Dollar hero Skalleti for the Group Two Prix d’Harcourt at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
The six-year-old has been a winner already this term, taking the Group Three Prix Exbury on his seasonal reappearance at Saint-Cloud on March 21.
The gelding was not hard-pushed to claim the three-and-a-half-length victory, something that Reynier thinks will benefit him ahead of his weekend assignment.
“He’s been doing fine since his reappearance last time out,” he said.
“It’s only three weeks between the two races, but he hadn’t really been required to dig deep into himself to win — he won quite easily.”
The Saint-Cloud going was heavy on the grey’s most recent win, conditions he seems to relish after scoring seven of his thirteen triumphs on ground described as either soft, very soft or heavy.
The turf is currently good to firm in Paris, and although Reynier would welcome a deluge to create more suitable conditions, he also pointed to Skalleti’s win on good ground in the Prix Quincey Barriere in August 2019.
“Because of the weather forecast for this weekend we are hoping for soft ground on Sunday,” he said.
“He is in good shape. It’s better to run him when everything is going for him, but he is in very good shape, we’re happy with him and hopefully the ground will be soft enough on Sunday.
“He’s definitely better on soft to heavy, but he won the Prix Quincey Barriere over a one-mile straight course on firm ground, with 136 (seconds) for the mile.
“He can definitely handle anything, but he feels himself and he is better in soft ground.”
After a victory in the Prix Gontaut-Biron Hong Kong Jockey Club last season, where he beat subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass, the horse took the Qatar Prix Dollar for the second consecutive season before heading to Ascot for the Qipco Champion Stakes.
Addeybb got the better of him, but Reynier is already eyeing another tilt at the race via the Prix Ganay, the Prix Gontaut-Biron and a shot at a record-equalling third Prix Dollar.
“The first target for the rest of the year would be the Prix Prix Ganay three weeks later,” the trainer said.
“So that’s the route we’re going, Exbury, d’Harcourt, Ganay.
“We’ll see if we can do the same as last year with the Prix Gontaut-Biron at Deauville and the Prix Dollar on Arc weekend, and the next race should be the Champion Stakes — that should be his programme.”
Skalleti will face seven rivals, live on Sky Sports Racing, including stablemate Monty and Andre Fabre pair Mare Australis and Algiers.
Gold Trip represents Fabrice Chappet, as Glycon faces Skalleti once again after finishing fourth behind him the the Prix Dollar.
Carlos Laffon-Parias runs Ecrivain, who was beaten into third by Skalleti in the Prix Exbury last time out, and the field is made up by Gael Barbedette’s Sky Power.
