Avenir Certain: is a best-priced 5-2 on her seasonal debut

 PICTURE: Scoop Dyga

AVENIR CERTAIN, who ended last year as France’s joint highest-rated three-year-old filly, makes her much-anticipated seasonal reappearance in the Group 2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud on Friday en route to a planned appearance at Royal Ascot.

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The daughter of Le Havre landed the Classic double of the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane last year before fading into 11th behind Treve in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Avenir Certain reverts to a mile with trainer Jean-Claude Rouget hopeful she can become a major force this summer over the shorter trip.

“I think a mile is her best trip and I’ve always thought that in a way,” Rouget said. “If you recall, after she won the Poule d’Essai I was leaning towards the Coronation Stakes. We ended up going for the Prix de Diane.”

Rouget added: “The distance was a problem in the Arc but so was the way the race panned out as she needs to be hidden away off a decent pace and her draw didn’t help.”

Prix Rothschild heroine Esoterique and the Wertheimer Brothers’ Bawina – arguably her two classiest opponents – will each be having their first run of the season.

Avenir Certain is entered in the Queen Anne Stakes at the royal meeting but Rouget is likely to keep the four-year-old against her own sex in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes.

“The plan is to go to Ascot for the Group 2 en route to the Prix Rothschild,” said Rouget. “Ascot will enable her to gain experience of the straight course for the first time and, if that goes well, she’ll run at Deauville in the Group 1. We’ll stick to the fillies’ race at Ascot, there is no need to complicate matters.”

fonte : RacingPost