O'Brien sends Yehudi for French prize

Aidan O’Brien and Jamie Spencer team up with the unexposed Yehudi in tomorrow’s Criterium de Saint-Cloud, the juvenile prize which brings the curtain down on France’s Group One programme.

O’Brien, who took this with Alberto Giacometti in 2002 and Ballingarry 12 months earlier, has run Yehudi just twice so far, but the son of Sadler’s Wells won on both occasions.

He first took a Navan maiden, and then a Listed race in heavy going at Leopardstown last week.

Yehudi will be suited by the forecast very soft going, and his task was made slightly easier with the field for the 10-furlong event being reduced to seven after the late defection of Philippe Demercastel’s Pattern winner Vatori.

Likely favourite is the Pascal Bary-trained Musketier, who earned his place with success in the Group Three Prix de Conde in holding ground at Longchamp last month.

On his previous start Christophe Lemaire’s mount was just touched off by Helios Quercus, who landed last week’s Group One Criterium International.

Ioritz Mendizabal, who passed the 200-winner mark on Thursday, seeks to cap his best ever season when riding Kappelmann, who faces a rematch with Andre Fabre’s runner Grand Bahama, who got the better of him at Longchamp recently.

Laverock, Eligibilis and German raider Paita complete the field.