Chineur Expected To Shine

Mikel Delzangles is confident Chineur can reverse the Nunthorpe form in Sunday´s Prix de l´Abbaye at Longchamp.

The crack French sprinter was a huge disappointment at York last month, finishing a close-up ninth to La Cucaracha after a tardy start under Christophe Lemaire.

Chineur had previously impressed when claiming the King´s Stand Stakes on the Knavesmire, beating a couple of those who finished in front of him the second time.

Delzangles reports the four-year-old Fasliyev colt to be in top form and he expects him to avenge his York defeat.

'The horse is very well and is in very good form,' said the French handler.

'I think he has got a good draw in stall 10 and we might get some rain which would make the ground good to soft and that would suit him.

'I was disappointed with his run at York. My horse missed his chance with a slow start, but he has come back from that very well.

'I think he can reverse the form - he just needs to run like he did on his first trip to York.'

Chineur is the 100-30 favourite with Coral for the Group One contest, while Milton Bradley´s The Tatling, placed in the race the last two years, is next best at 9-2.

The eight-year-old has been knocking on the door at the highest level for quite some time now, finishing second in the Nunthorpe for the last three years as well as being runner-up behind Var in last year´s Longchamp event.

The Tatling also finished third behind Patavellian in the 2003 Abbaye.

He said: 'Hopefully it will be third time lucky. He´s really well, in top form and it sounds like the ground will be good or just on the soft side of good which will be all right for us.

'He ran a very good race at York and he only needed two more strides and he would have been in front. He couldn´t get a run when he needed it there and I think that probably cost us the race.'

The Tatling notched his first win of the season when claiming a Newbury Group Three and Bradley hopes that will act as a confidence-booster for his gelding.

'It was good to get one on the board at Newbury, he deserved it and he´s been well since,' added the Chepstow trainer.

'He´s been second or third in so many big races now and he really deserves a bit of luck. He was second in France last year and third the year before, but it´s all about getting the openings as he comes from behind.

'A bit of luck on our side could just do the trick.'

(C) PA Sport