Horse Racing: Tin is best horse on the day by Elliot Slater

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Locally trained Tin Horse landed Sunday's Group 1 Poule d'Essai de Pouliches at Longchamp (the French 2000 Guineas) under Thierry Jarnet, but the race made only slight ripples in the ante-post markets for the major mile contests later on in the season, writes Elliot Slater.

The David Guillemin-trained three-year-old finished second to Richard Fahey's Wootton Bassett on his final out of last term when the Malton-based runner triumphed in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp on 'Arc' weekend, but could only finish third on his seasonal debut at the Paris circuit last month when beaten in a three-way photo finish which eventually went the way of Glaswegian. Those following the Ascot betting wouldn't have been massively impressed.

Sent off an 8/1 chance on Sunday, Tin Horse settled in behind the front-running Wootton Bassett (2/1f) who had plenty of use made of him in the early part of the race having been drawn very wide. Fahey decided (having seen the French 1000 Guineas earlier on the card), that the only place to be was close to the pace and that Paul Hanagan would have to make sure he got to the front and dictate matters at his own pace.

As it was, the favourite was a spent force entering the final furlong and faded to finish fifth as Tin Soldier came charging by, followed home by outsiders Havane Smoker (35/1) and Venomous (25/1).

Tin Horse proved himself a very useful juvenile last term, also finishing second to the high-class Dream Ahead in the Prix Morny before finishing runner-up to Wootton Bassett. No firm plans have been decided for the French Classic winner but his odds for the St James's Palace Stakes have been clipped to around 14/1 having been available at more than three times the price before his big race victory.

The ante-post market for the one mile three-year-old feature remains dominated by the outstanding Frankel who is generally the red hot 3/10 favourite.

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