The Sept. 13 Qatar Prix Vermeille (G1) is all about seeing what Raabihah can do relative to fillies that will be familiar to British and Irish fans.
When Fancy Blue, Alpine Star, and Peaceful filled the first three places in the Prix de Diane Longines (G1), Irish fans might have struggled to parse the worth of the form. Raabihah was a head behind in fourth, with a significant gap back to the rest. Did that mean anything? Those who had a bit of a steer on French racing this year had an answer: four good fillies, not a lot besides.
That has largely been borne out in subsequent results, including Raabihah's impressive group 3 win at Deauville last month. The high regard in which she is held has been an open secret in France for a lot longer. She first caught the eye when winning a listed race at ParisLongchamp in May, for which she was sent off even-money on the back of just a maiden win at Cagnes in January.
"I'm going into the race with optimism," said trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. "I think she'll take to the distance—you can never be 100% sure beforehand—and she's a very good filly. She's not all that demonstrative in the mornings and always works below the level of the rest but she's well."
Now the roles have been reversed from the Diane. Even So won the Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1), but that is not working out as favorably as the Diane. Dame Malliot blew her previous shot at a group 1 in Germany, having earned that with a win in the Princess of Wales's Tattersalls Stakes.
In common with other middle-distance races this season, the Vermeille looks deep, but not especially strong. Only with victory will Raabihah confirm her position as the leading home-trained hope for next month's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1).
