Gris de Gris produced a mild upset when kicking off the European festivities earlier today in winning the Gr-II Prix du Muguet, stalking a slow early pace then blowing past the leader at the top of the stretch, drawing off to an easy, albeit slow win. Turfrose closed from the back of the pack to finish second and favorite Spirito Del Vento third.

Tune in later for details, images and on Saturday for the next recap.

Just like in the US, the first weekend in May will once more be the true start of the ‘Classic’ seasons in Europe, as a duo of Gr-I’s will be contested alongside a Gr-II.  The highlight of the weekend will be Saturday in England with the 200th running of the English 2000 Guineas (3yo, 1600m) at Newmarket Racecourse, the first leg of the UK’s Triple Crown.  That race will be couple with Sunday’s running of the Gr-I 1000 Guineas (3yo, f, 1600m).  The other major stakes are France's Gr-II Prix du Muguet (4yo+, 1600m) on Thursday at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris and the Gr-II’s Jockey Club Stakes (4yo+, 2400m) on Sunday in Newmarket.

In the 2000 Guineas, Europe’s undefeated 2yo Champion, Irish colt New Approach will be the favorite, and will be making his ’08 debut as will be most of the top entries…

(G-t-W editorial – Needless to say, this is quite different from the approach taken in the US in prep for the Kentucky Derby, where it is extremely difficult to come out on top w/o 2-3 prep races.  This points out why the European based horses have not done well in Ky. They are on even terms with their peers, but not properly prepared for the Derby. You need to see no further than ’91 2yo Champion Arazi, the horse some called the second coming of Secretariat, and who ran the most devastating BC race ever, if not the most amazing run by a 2yo ever, when he won the  91 BC Juv. the flopped in the Derby)

… The champ’s main foes will be Raven’s Pass, 3 out of 5 lifetime but one defeat againt ‘Approach, stakes winner and Dubai-connected Ibn Khaldun and entry mate Fast Company, Ireland’s Jupiter Pluvius, 2 for 2 as a 2yo, Italy's Gr-I winner Scintillo and the wildcard of the race, BC Juvenile Turf winner Nownownow.

There have been 15 winners of the UK’s Triple Crown, with the great Nijinsky being the last in 1970 and eight of them were back in the 1890’s.  And if New Approach wins, we will have to wait another year, as his connections have already said they plan to bypass the Epsom Derby, the second leg, and likely head to the Irish 2000 Guineas and Irish Derby instead.

When the fillies tangle in the 1000, it looks like it will come down to four top contenders.  The early favorite is the UK’s Infallible, two for two and coming off a sharp win in the Nell Gwyn Stakes, but not far behind is Europes’s 2yo Filly Champion, France’s Natagora, who last out won the Prix Imprudence and looking to become the first French filly to win the 1000 since 1992.  Standing in their way will be a pair of top UK stakes winning fillies, Muthabara, winner of the Dubai Duty Free Stakes, and Spacious, making her ’08 debut.

The final event in England will be the Jockey Club Stakes, the field led by defending race winner Sixties Icon who will be making his 2008 debut.

(updated 5/1)

Thursday's Prix du Muguet looks like a wide-open affair with a deep international flavor.  The main choice appears to be Italian owned and French raced Gr-II winner Spirito Del Vento, third in France's Gr-III Prix Edmond Blanc in his seasonal debut.  But look out for formerly Italian-based, now French based and Japanese owned Gr-I winning filly Turfrose, making her '08.  She may be the one to beat.  But a wildcard is the winner of the '06 version of this race Krataios, also making his '08 debut and with only last year's version as his only 2007 run.

Also, the final field was declared for the English 2000 Guineas with Jupiter Pluvius not entered due to a potential injury and Fast Company bypassing the race as well. BC Juv Turf winner Nownownow was the third big name defection, his missing a key workout due to rain forcing his connections to skip the race.

Major Cadeaux kicked off the european festivities by winning the Sandown Mile over Rob Roy...

Sunday was a good day for Ireland, starting of with Duke of Marmalade (left) finally breaking through in a Gr-I and after a winless 2007, winnig the Prix Ganay in an upset, holding off Germany's Saddex's late charge. Favorite Zambezi Sun was last.

Then his stablemate, champion Yeats successfully returned to the track and defended his title in the Vintage Crop Stakes, fighting off a spirited challenge down the stretch and holding off everyone gamely...

Finally, Oriental Tiger impressively won the Gerling Preis, leading from gate to wire for only his third career win.  Favorite Alderflug was off the board...

Tune in later for images...

The major European flat racing season kicks it up a notch this weekend with the first Gr-I event of the year, the Prix Ganay (4yo+, 2000m) at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, couple with the Gr-II’s Sandown Mile (4yo+, 1m+14yds) in Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey, England and the Gerling Preis (4yo+, 2400m) at the Weidenpesch Racecourse in Cologne, Germany.

Sunday’s Prix Ganay features a number of returning top olders from Europe led by a number of ‘07 Gr-I winners, staring with France’s Darjina, the European 3yo Filly champion and second in Dubai’s Duty Free in her 2008 debut, multiple Gr-I winner Mrs. Lindsay, winner of the Prix Vermeille, and Zambezi Sun, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris, and Ireland’s Soldier of Fortune, the winner of the Irish Derby. Taking them on are a group of talented runners, France’s Loup Breton, winner of the Gr-II Prix d’Harcourt a couple of weeks back, as well as second place finisher Spirit One, Germany's Saddex, winner of last year's Gerling Preis, and Japan’s Red Rocks. Last year’s race was won by Dylan Thomas, who went on to win the Prix Arc d’Triomphe and be named European Horse of the Year.

(updated 4/24) - With final entries announced, Champion Darjina will bypass the Prix Ganay and will instead return in the Gr-I Prix d'Ispahan next month. Also bypassing the race will be Loup Breton.

Saturday’s Sandown is led by Medicine Path, who is coming off a sharp win in the Doncaster Mile and will probably be favored.  But he will face a stiff challenge from graded stakes winner Rob Roy, returning to the races after a 9 month layoff,

Action closes with the Gerling Preis, led by German Derby winner Adlerflug, making his ’08 debut, being tackled by Oriental Tiger, winner of the Gr-III Grand Prix Aufgallop earlier in the month, and Gr-I placed Shrek .

On a side note, '07 European Stayer Champion , Ireland's Yeats, returns to action in the Vintage Crop Stakes (4yo+, 13f) at Navan racecourse on Sunday.

Full of Gold (red cap / red silks) continues to roll, taking France's Prix Noailles, coming with a determined run down the stretch to catch front running Blue Bresi...

...while Loup Breton is a mild suprise winner of the  Prix d'Harcourt over Spirt One and Boris de Beauville, coming from way back to catch the leader in the final furlong...

And up in Ireland, Famous Name easily took the 2000 Guineas Trial, taking the lead at the top of the stretch and drawing away. He will now head to the Irish 2000 Guineas...

The Europen flat racing season, which started just a few weeks ago, finally kicks it in to gear with their first two major (Gr-II or higher) stakes, the Gr-II’s Prix d'Harcourt (4yo+, 2000m) and Prix Noailles (3yo, 2100m) this Sunday in France. 

The d’Harcourt is the major prep for France’s first Gr-I for older horses, the Prix Ganay, which is run at month’s.  The feature horse will be last year’s winner Boris de Deauville, making his ’08 debut but who lost all three of his races afterwards.  He will face a stiff challenge from Spirit One, who is coming off a big win in the Gr-III Prix Exbury last month, and graded stakes winner Quest for Honor.

The Noailles in turn is the major prep for France’s first Gr-I for 3yo, the Prix du Jockey-Club next month. An early favorite looks like stakes winning Full of Gold, as well as the top entries from some of the continents top trainers, Mayweather, Mount Helicon and The Bogberry.

Also, the Gr-III Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial (3yo, 1600m) will be run in Ireland that day. That race will not be previewed, but will be kept an eye on as it will feature a number of green yet promising horses with their eye on the first leg of the Irish Triple Crown.

This will be a very interesting season to follow in Europe to see who emerges at the head of the class, as last year’s top three horses, ’07 Horse of the Year Dylan Thomas, ’07 3yo Champion Authorized and ‘07’s World’s Top Rated racehorse, Manduro, have all been retired. But there is top miler and multiple Gr-I winner Ramonti, Champion 3yo filly Darjina and Champion 2yo Colt, the unbeaten New Approach all returing, so we will see how things start shaping out this spring.