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.