It rained Friday night and part of Saturday (including a late unexpected cloudburst) so the going should be soft but probably will avoid the heavy classification.

This busiest of days has six G1 races starting with the Prix Marcel Boussac for the 2yo fillies over 1600m and 9 are scheduled to run.  Green Spirit is a Kingman colt with Christopher Head and is unbeaten in four outings.  Guyon has the ride and they are on 2/1.  The English-Irish bookies are keen on Diamond Necklace with Aidan O'Brien and Soumillon  and this son of St Mark's Basilica is unbeaten in two outings and we quite like the Ferland runner Ozone, a Lope de Vega, who is also unbeaten in two with Pasquier to ride.

The Prix Jean-Luc Lagadère is for 2yos with both colts and fillies eligible and is over 1400m with 12 to run.  Nighttime has won his last three races and is on 2/1 for Head-Guyon.  He's by Wooton Bassett as is the Irish raider Puerto Rico, on 4/1 for O'Brien – Soumillon.  Rayif is unbeaten in two starts and this Sea The Moon product is from the estate of the late Aga Khan and is on 3/1.  Time To Turn is the Godolphin runner here (Appleby – Buick) and is by Dark Angel and on 8/1.

And here comes the Aussie!  Asfoora runs in the Prix de l'Abbaye, that mad 1000m dash that goes diagonally across the infield.  It's a very very open race but we'll support her as usual and 11/2 is a nice price – Oisin Murphy in the saddle so she might be longer in France.  Monteille is the favourite so far on 5/1 who was a c&d winner at his latest race. C Demuro rides for M Barati.  We also quite like Afjan on 17/2 for Devin – Pouchin and there's a bit of value possibly with Rayevka 12/1 Graffard-Barzalona.

Then the Arc itself.  Earlier in the week everyone was asking if this would be Japan's year finally but the soft track has proven difficult for Japanese runners before today and the draw wasn't kind to two of them.  We are going back to our original plan and going for the best 3yo colt – Daryz.  He's firmed in a lot in the market following some top work during the week and is now around 10/1 with Barzalona on board the Graffard-trained horse.  Aventure was second in this race last year on a similar surface and has done nothing wrong in the meantime, including winning the Vermeille and she will probably start favourite in France although the Brits and Irish currently have Minnie Hauk on top.  She's a quadruple Oaks winner but this will be her first start against the boys and the older horses.  After that we had the Japanese runners in and we may still give Byzantine Dream a chance on 12/1, or we may prefer the French runner Gezora on 14/1 with Tom Marquand riding for Graffard.

The Opéra is for f&m over 2000m and the Brits have a good chance here with See The Fire 3/1 for Balding – O Murphy in the famous Jeff Smith colours.  Tamfana should be competitive here on 5/1 for Menuisier – Col Keane and there's a German raider here which has just ben bought by Teruyo Yoshida and that is Nicorini, currently with Peter Schiergen and Andrasch Starke on board – a team that has won here before – and they are on 11/1.

Finally the Prix de la Forêt over 1400m is the last of the G1s – over 1400m this time.  More Thunder is very popular in the Anglo-Irish markets and is on 5/2 for Haggas – Marquand.  The Aga Khan's estate is represented by Zarigana on 9/2 with the usual Graffard- Barzalona involved.

The weather looks reasonable – cloudy with the sun appearing from time to time, but not very warm.