Billy Loughnane will be delving into the archives and studying previous footage ahead of his shot at Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches glory aboard Chic Colombine.

The 18-year-old, who was last year’s champion apprentice, enjoyed one of his biggest days in the saddle aboard George Boughey’s filly when she stormed to an impressive six-length success in a Listed event in March.

That was Loughnane’s first ever ride in France and he will head to ParisLongchamp attempting to match the exploits of the one and only Lester Piggott, who was aged just 18 himself when tasting Classic success for the first time aboard Never Say Die in the 1954 Derby.

However, if the teenager is to join Piggott in the record books, he will have to overcome the widest draw of all in stall 14 aboard Chic Colombine, with Loughnane admitting he will be researching previous races and seeking inspiration from some of his weighing-room contemporaries to chart a winning path around the Bois de Boulogne.

“I can’t wait. She hasn’t been given the greatest of gates, but hopefully she can overcome that and we’ll see how we get on,” said Loughnane. “I’ve been watching back and having a good look at some of the old races and the last 10 to 15 Guineas and what people do, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on what they do when drawn wide now as well.

“It’s a massive opportunity and she goes there in good shape. She’s going well at home and I just hope she can go and do the business. She won great at Saint-Cloud and I know I’ve only ridden her a few times, but she’s been a star for me really.

“William Buick won on her a few times last season and I’m fortunate that Charlie Appleby has one in there which puts him out of the equation – and I have to thank George and Highclere for keeping me on her.”

Boughey and owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing came close to Pouliches glory two years ago when their Newmarket heroine Cachet was denied by a head in her quest for a Guineas double.

They will now be hoping Chic Colombine can go one better, with the daughter of Seahenge reported to have thrived since her victorious early-season journey across the Channel.

“She’s in great form and was an impressive winner last time in France on soft ground. She looks a picture and has definitely come on for that run, so she’s a really interesting filly,” said Highclere’s racing manager Harry Herbert.

Also making the trip from Newmarket to the French capital is Folgaria. Marco Botti’s unbeaten filly brings a truly international flavour to the contest and although trained in the UK, will be carrying the hopes of Italy in her heart.

An emotional winner of the Fred Darling on her first start for Botti, the form of that race was given a significant boost when the third Elmalka won the 1000 Guineas last weekend, and her trainer is confident he has made the correct call to send the mount of Hollie Doyle to the French capital.

Botti said: “She’s been drawn six – I was worried about a wide draw complicating things, but she has got a good draw. Hollie knows the filly well and this is another step up in class from Newbury, even with Roger Varian’s filly going on and winning the 1000 Guineas.

“The form is good and I still think a mile with a bend will suit her better than Newmarket and we think the track at Longchamp will suit her.We’re really happy with her, she did her final work at home on Tuesday and she looks ready to go. Hopefully it will all go to plan and she will have a decent chance.”

It has been over 20 years since Aidan O’Brien’s sole victory in the race and he is represented by Content, with Ryan Moore’s partner last seen finishing a close-up fourth over this trip at the Breeders’ Cup.

Strong Irish form is also brought into the race by Vespertilio, who was a star for Willie McCreery at two and finished 2023 by picking up a silver medal in the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes.

“You would like to be drawn in a few places, she’s 11 of 15, but she seems in great form,” said McCreery of his filly’s chances.

“We might get the ground we’re looking for and we’re happy with conditions. It’s going to be a tough ask, but I think she’s up to showing us her best.

“I hope the move up to a mile won’t be an issue and there are a lot of fillies doing the same in the race. It’s a tiny worry, but you have to be confident she will get it and Billy (Lee, jockey) will have to ride her like she is going to get it. If she’s trained on, which I think she has, then I think we can go there very happy.”

Romantic Style went straight to the top of the betting for this race when accounting for 1000 Guineas third and fourth Ramatuelle and Tamfana in the Prix Imprudence last month.

The daughter of Night Of Thunder stretches out to a mile for the first time as she bids to provide Charlie Appleby with his second Classic in the space of a week.

Appleby told the Godolphin website: “She has definitely come on for that run and we are hopeful that she can see out the mile, although being drawn in 14 will make things slightly harder.”

Godolphin will also be represented by Andre Fabre’s unbeaten Rock’n Swing, with Jean-Claude Rouget’s Louise Procter arguably best of the home contingent, having maintained her 100 per cent record at Chantilly on her return.

Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini is bidding for French Classic success as he takes his chance in the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains. The Camelot colt acquitted himself well as a two-year-old, winning a Newbury maiden and the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes at Doncaster.

On his final run last year, he was fifth in the Group One Futurity Trophy back at Doncaster, though the heavy ground there was not considered ideal and he will encounter a better surface in France.

The bay is drawn in stall four, a competitive berth and one Teal is hoping will bode well after connections chose to head across the Channel with the horse instead of the Rowley Mile.

“He’s great, he’s done very well over the winter and we’ve been incredibly pleased with him,” said Teal. “Everyone I’ve spoken to has told me that you need a low draw at Longchamp and I was dreading it, I thought we were guaranteed to get 13! For once we were lucky and actually got a decent draw so I’m happy with that.”

Of the decision not to head to Newmarket, Teal added: “The owner was pretty keen to go to France. I agree you shouldn’t be afraid of one horse, but I think it was probably the sensible thing to do. The decision is made so we’ll go over and hope he runs well.”

Aidan O’Brien has a high-profile unbeaten contender in Henry Longfellow, a Dubawi colt who won three successive Curragh contests last year – including the Group Two Futurity Stakes and the Group One National Stakes.

He sidestepped the English Guineas to allow City Of Troy to make his ultimately unsuccessful bid, but now has his own chance to bring a Classic title back to his Ballydoyle yard.

“He’s in good form and he’s ready to start back,” said O’Brien. “Obviously he had some very good form to his name last season, winning a Group Two and a Group One, and we’re hoping he’ll run another good race again. He’s done everything right this year and is ready to get going.”

O’Brien also runs the striking Diego Velazquez, winner of the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes last term.

Supercooled is trained by Andre Fabre for the Niarchos family and has run twice already this season, finishing second in the Prix Comrade and then winning the Prix Machado over course and distance.

Both runs were on heavy ground, but his two-length maiden win the season prior was on good to soft and connections are expecting him to appreciate better conditions.

“He’s been an exciting horse from the day he broke his maiden,” said Alan Cooper, racing manager for the owners. “He had a bit of a setback later on in the season last year, but he’s done very well in conditions that are slower than ideal for him.

“On Sunday it is meant to be good ground and hopefully he will give a very good account of himself in his first black-type race. He takes a big step up, but Mr Fabre is there every day with him and likes him and we’ll see how he stacks up with those with proven Group form in the race. Like all Group One races, it will be very interesting.”

The Aga Khan silks are represented by Keran and Roshvar, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and Francis-Henri Graffard respectively. Keran was second in the Group Three Prix Djebel when last seen, with Roshvar a runner-up over course and distance on his last outing.

Georges Rimaud, director of the Aga Khan Studs in France, said: “Keran has worked very well and Jean-Claude Rouget thinks that he can stay a mile. It’s a gamble that’s worth taking.

“As for Roshvar, we’re continuing along the path we set ourselves. It’s true that he showed immaturity in the Prix Machado, but he’s learning through experience.”

Yann Barberot’s Beauvatier fared well as a two-year-old, winning four races and finishing third in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere before beginning this year with a second-placed run behind Ramadan in the Prix de Fontainebleau.

“Beauvatier worked very well on Monday morning. Maxime Guyon came to ride him,” Barberot said of the colt. “He knows every inch of him and everything, so far, is going according to plan. The plan was, in fact, to ensure that he wasn’t fully wound up for his reappearance, with a view to stepping up on that effort in the Classic.

“He will have the notable advantage of being familiar with ParisLongchamp compared to the foreign colts.”

Christopher Head’s Ramadan is also a part of the field, with his Prix de Fontainebleau success preceded by a Listed win at Saint-Cloud.

Mathieu le Forestier, racing manager for owner Nurlan Bizakov, said: “The news concerning Ramadan is good and his trainer reports that he’s doing very well. His preparation has gone smoothly, and Christopher Head is following the pre-established plan.

“All the lights are flashing green. There won’t be that many runners, which means we can be more relaxed about our race plan. In a field of 13 runners, that’s enough to facilitate a fast-run race, while, by the same token, it should guarantee no hard-luck stories. The race should be a fluid one.

“Victory would be important in so many ways. Le Havre (the sire of Ramadan) died all too soon (in 2022) after putting the Haras de Montfort and Preaux stud on the map, so it would obviously make a lot of sense for us to have one of his sons as a stallion prospect.”

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