Laurent Barbarin

Published 16:48 09/08

We race exclusively on the flat at La Teste and Clairefontaine this Monday, with eight races at each venue.

Race 4 at Clairefontaine (4.48), is a 7f handicap for three-year-olds. FIVESTARS has yet to break her maiden after twelve starts, but her last two efforts suggest that she is very close to registering a first career victory.

She showed positive signs when finishing fifth of 13 in an identical handicap over course and distance on 6 July, just a neck behind Mangas, who reopposes today. She may have been ridden a touch too close to the pace that day and found herself in front too early just to fade in the final 100 yards.

However, she showed a really nice turn of foot on her latest start when finishing fourth of 13 over 7f at Le Lion-d’Angers. Held up at the rear for most of the race, she produced an eye-catching late finish, suggesting that her first win is very close, providing she can relax at the back of the field.

With another field of 13 lining up this Monday, the filly has been drawn in stall 6. I’m very curious to see how her trainer and her jockey, Maxime Justum, approach the race and whether he will be as patient with her as Jérôme Claudic was last time.

Race 8 at Clairefontaine (7.09) is a 9f maiden for three-year-old colts and geldings, with a field of ten runners. One horse who has improved dramatically since being gelded is MUTANT KING, a son of Kingman trained by Francis-Henri Graffard for White Birch Farm.

Following an encouraging debut at Chantilly last September, when finishing fifth of ten in a newcomers’ race over a mile, Mutant King returned to action at Saint-Cloud on 15 March and finished fourth of eight in a maiden over 1m2f. He was subsequently disappointing when finishing ninth of 11 in another Saint-Cloud maiden over a mile in early April.

Following a gelding operation and a three-month break, Mutant King made his comeback at Compiègne on 16 July and was beaten just a head in a 9f maiden. That performance was particularly noteworthy as he finished comfortably ahead of Too Darn Quick, who was third, Magnus, who finished fourth, and Prominent, who was fifth. All three reoppose today under the same weight conditions.

Mutant King also comes from a formidable family. He is the first foal out of Sister Nat, who won a Group 3 in France when trained by Francis-Henri Graffard before placing at Group 1 level in the US for Chad Brown. Sister Nat is out of Starlet’s Sister, making her a half-sister to the remarkable Sistercharlie, as well as to Arc winner Sottsass and Japanese top performer Shin Emperor.

With such an exceptional pedigree to complement the improvement he has shown since being gelded, Mutant King has plenty going for him as he bids to open his account.

On what looks a tricky card, he is possibly the banker of the day.

My next column will be on Thursday 13 August for action from Deauville and Le Lion d’Angers, two meetings shown live on Sky Sports Racing.