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Group Action: Prix d'Essai & Prix Albert Viel.
To compliment the two feature Group Ones on the Sunday card at Vincennes, the three-year-olds will compete for victory in the Summer Series finals for both the driven and the mounted horses - the G1 Prix Albert Viel (2700m) and G1 Prix d'Essai (2175m)...
The three-year-old mounted final, the G1 Prix d'Essai (2175m) has attracted a small but select field. Winner of the G2 Prix Felicien Gauvreau (2200m) in March, Ici C'est Paris has gone from strength to strength in recent months and recorded his first Group One success when taking the G1 Saint-Léger des Trotteurs (2450m) at Caen with a kilometre rating of 1'13'3 on 19 May. Market favourite Inoui Danica finished second, which was another strong performance after his success in the G2 Prix Hemine (2175m). These two rivals re-oppose again and are likely to dominate the finish.
Indigo du Poret is worth consideration on his first attempt in Group company, having registered three consecutive victories at Vincennes including two at Class A level. Idéale du Chêne has featured in the closing stages of all the top mounted races for the age group, including a second in the G2 Prix Hemine (2175m) and a third in the G2 Prix Gelinotte (2700m). The Julien Le Mer trained filly may appreciate a return to mounted company after a fair fourth in the driven G2 Prix Ozo (2700m) at Vincennes on 25 June and cannot be dismissed in Group races.
The Prix Albert Viel (2700m) is the driven final for three-year-olds and will be a competitive affair with fifteen declared to run. With a strong recent record, Inoubliable is likely to be favoured in the betting market, having won the fourth qualifier, the G3 Prix Ozo (2700m) on 25 May with a kilometre rating of 1'15'3'. She was narrowly denied another Group Two success in April, when It's Now Or Never held on to beat her by a head at the line in the G2 Prix Masina (2100m). It's Now Or Never was disqualified in the G2 Prix Ozo (2700m) but he has to be considered as a leading contender if maintaining stride.
I Love Me is yet to complete at Group Two level however her victories in the G3 Prix d'Istres (2700m) and G3 Prix Fama (2700m) would suggest she is capable of featuring. Italiano Vero finished second behind In The Money in the G1 Prix Comte Pierre de Montesson (2700m) over course and distance and arguably holds some of the best form in the race. He is yet to finish out of the top two when completing. In The Money's success in the G1 Prix Comte Pierre de Montesson (2700m) is a strong piece of form but the Thierry Duvaldestin trained colt has finished third and disqualified since. It is difficult to choose an obvious winner in the field, but it is worth noting that Italiano Vero holds the peak kilometre rating of the runners with 1'12'2 and a replication of that performance could see him take a first Group One success.
