Final preparatory race for the Grand Steeple de Paris, the G.2 Prix Ingré will be staged on Saturday at Auteuil and, like the preceding prep races, it will be run over the same exterior course, but over 4400m, as opposed to the 6000m of next month’s spring showpiece.

Winner of the Grand Steeple in 2022 but subsequently absent until his recent comeback over hurdles at Compiègne, Sel Jem has little time to prepare, but this run, which is not necessarily about winning, will do him a world of good and, after having laid down their own gauntlet, there will still be some pressure on the Lageneste/Macaire training duo to produce a decent performance. Fully-fit or not, Sel Jim is still the focus of attention.

Sixth in the 2022 Grand Steeple, General En Chef has been enjoying something of a resurgence, his recent course-and-distance victory was nothing short of superb and he has a reasonable chance of doubling up.Winner of last year’s Prix Maurice Gillois, Amy du Kiff represents the in-form Gabriel Leenders stable, and will need to pass this test ahead of her ultimate goal. Stablemate Gardons Le Sourire, however, is no longer the horse he once was and will need some luck in running to make any impact.

In Love and Toscana Du Berlais are useful in their own right but, on paper at least, they are not top-drawer prospects this time around. Grand Oncle finished a good, but surprising, 3rd in last November’s Prix La Haye Jousselin and, while his seasonal return run was respectable, he is unlikely to get the bottomless ground he appreciates.