Tasaday to end Godolphin drought in French Guineas

Dubai: Tasaday, trained by Andre Fabre for Godolphin, will have to overcome a tough draw if she hopes to give her stable a first victory in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (1,000 Guineas) at Longchamp, France, today.

Ace French handler Fabre has won the prestigious event on three occasions with Golden Lilac (2011), Musical Chimes (2003) and Houseproud (1990).

Godolphin’s Zoowraa finished last of 16 behind Golden Lilac.

A Darley-bred daughter of Nayef, Tasaday lost her unbeaten record in last month’s Group 3 Prix de La Grotte after a two-year-old campaign that culminated in an impressive victory in the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville last October.

Godolphin will be hoping that Tasaday, the mount of Dubai World Cup-winning rider Mickael Barzalona, can turn the tables her Grotte conqueror Kenhope in a race that wears an open-look.

Heading a maximum field of 20 fillies are the Mikel Delzangles-trained duo Flotilla and Sade Melody and Christofe Laffon-Parias’s Topaze Blanche.

Flotilla won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita in the autumn while Topaze Blanche was a close third behind Tasaday in the Grotte.

There are four British-trained runners in the mix with Richard Hannon’s Zurigha looking the pick of that quartet based on her impressive win in a conditions event on the All-Weather track at Kempton last month.

Cocktail Queen, who was fourth in the Grotte, represents David Elsworth.

Two other Britain hopefuls are the Clive Cox-trained Melbourne Memories, who was a noteworthy third in the Fred Darling and Waterway Run, who was a trifle disappointing when fifth in the Nell Gwyn for Ralph Beckett.

Farbe also saddles Godolphin’s Tulips (the mount of Maxime Guyon) in the Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges over five furlongs and Lava Flow (Barzalona) in the Listed Prix de la Seine over 11 furlongs.