Head excited to tackle French Guineas with Blue Rose Cen

Filly returned in style at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.

Christopher Head is relishing the prospect of securing Classic honours with Blue Rose Cen, who cemented her place as favourite for the French 1000 Guineas with an authoritative display in the Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.

The daughter of Churchill made a splash for the handler during her two-year-old season, providing the the son of Freddy Head with his first Group One success when striking in style on Arc day in the Prix Marcel Boussac.

That impressive five-length success in her final start at two outlined her credentials for the May 14 Classic and she continued her love affair with the French capital’s signature racecourse on her three-year-old return, making all in the hands of Aurelien Lemaitre.

She was quickly shortened to 2-1 favourite from 11-4 by Paddy Power for the Poule d’Essai Des Pouliches and Head confirmed a return to the Paris track would be Blue Rose Cen’s next port of call before potentially stretching out to 10 furlongs for a crack at the Prix de Diane.

“She’s really a fine filly,” said the trainer. “She was very powerful as a two-year-old and now starting her three-year-old season, I’m very happy with her.

“For us in France, the Prix de la Grotte is the main race you need to win to be able to have a fair chance in the Guineas and now we need to wait for potential opponents from across the Channel, but I’m really confident about our filly.

“She has been strong-minded from the beginning and she knows everything. We are just high in the sky with her right now and we can’t wait to try her in the French Guineas. Longchamp looks like her favourite racecourse.

“Then we will see in the Prix de Diane if she stays 2,000 metres.”

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