We know about this holiday now but not before one year when we were trying to get a hotel room in Venice!  So firstly to Cologne where they ran the German 2000 Guineas or the Mehl-Mulhens G2 over 1600m with 9 contestants.

It was French raider Angers who won with Andrea Atzeni riding for Mario Baratti and they started on 12/1. He's a son of Seabhac, about whom we don't know so much.

Finn's Charm, stablemate of the favourite Benacre who finished 4th, was on 7/1 and in the experienced hands of Ioritz Mendizabal to finish second and our roughie Dhangadhi was third.

Over at Longchamp the Palais Royale was the first of the Group races and here the winner was Fort Payne, trained by Nicolas Caullery and ridden by Maxime Guyon.  A comfortable win with National Service 2 lengths behind and stablemate of the winner King Gold third. Egot overraced in the early stages and finished fourth.

The G1 Prix d'Ispahan saw favourite and Prix Dollar winner Anmaat salute here for Owen Burrows and Jim Crowley.  He was impressive producing a strong finish to overtake the leaders which included our Aussie runner Light Infantry who was only beaten by a short neck after righting back and our roughie Facteur Cheval was third.  Light Infantry's future plans are on hold at the moment.  He may go to Ascot or he may come back to Aus to prepare for the Cox Plate.

Then the Vicomtesse Vigier went to our tip Sober by a short neck from The Good Man.