Yorkshire sprinters targeting Group 1 glory in France at Arc meeting

Richard Fahey’s speedy filly broke the track record when winning the Alice Keppel Fillies' Conditions Stakes at Goodwood in July, then finished second in the Group 1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York during the Ebor meeting.

Her most recent appearance saw her finish second again in the Coral Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting, when she was pipped at the post by Richard Hannon’s Trillium.

Fahey was pleased with her performance on Town Moor and with the going for today’s card in the French capital described as soft, the handler has no worries about possible conditions on Sunday.

"She proved at Doncaster she handles a bit of cut in the ground. The main thing is how she is physically and I couldn’t have been happier since Doncaster,” he told the Sporting Life.

Fellow North Yorkshire trainer Adrian Nicholls has two runners in the race, Tees Spirit – winner of an emotional Epsom ‘Dash’ on Derby Day on the anniversary of the death of his father David “Dandy” Nicholls, the man known as “the Sprint King”.

It is 20 years since Nicholls senior won the Abbaye with Continent and the family will be hoping to follow in his footsteps again tomorrow.

The Thirsk-trained horse has won twice since his Epsom success at Doncaster and Tipperary under jockey Barry McHugh – who is in the plate again for the hat-trick bid.

Mo Celita also lines up having finished second in the Cazoo Scarbrough Stakes under Frankie Dettori at the St Leger meeting, before coming home fourth in the Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies' Stakes with McHugh at Ayr earlier this month.

Jason Hart takes the ride tomorrow as the Yorkshire trio chase a first prize of 220,000 euros in one of Europe’s top sprints.

Karl Burke’s Al Qareem runs in the opening race of the two-day Arc meeting in Paris today, the Group 2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay under Ryan Moore.

French jockey Christophe Soumillon – the regular partner of Fahey’s Group 1 winner Perfect Power – has been banned for two months for appearing to elbow Rossa Ryan out of the saddle at Saint-Cloud. Ryan walked away unscathed from the nasty fall with Soumillon later apologising for his reckless actions.