On Saturday at a minute past 4pm we heard the news that we had started to doubt, that racing would recommence for the first time since March behind closed doors at Newcastle. The BHA have done a really good job in reassuring all interested parties with an excellent briefing document that demonstrates horse racing has covered all the minute detail to ensure that all protocols will be effectively followed behind closed doors, ensuring horse racing continues safely.

At Newmarket the first two classics take place with the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday and the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday, which will be the climax of their four day card.

At Deauville this afternoon they have their 2000 and 1000 Guineas Classics, with two excellent fields here. Check out my selections below on an exciting day. Cheers!

2.50 Deauville 2000 Guineas Emirates Poule d’Essal des Poulains (Group 1) 1m

The race seems to revolve around whether Victor Ludorum is the horse he was last year, and a defeat at prohibitive odds on his return at Longchamp hardly boosted his claims here. However, in retrospect, plenty of Andre Fabre’s needed the run first time out this year, and it would be foolish to write him off on the back of one run. Nevertheless, odds of 13-8 hardly set your reaching for your wallet.

It seems somewhat strange that the winners of the trial races for this, The Summit and Shinning Ocean, can be backed at 9-1 and 22-1 respectively. The Summit made all in the Prix de Fontainebleu, beating Ecrivain and Victor Ludorum in the process, but Longchamp was very much favouring front runners at that time, and others will surely be more aware of those tactics here. However, whilst Shinning Ocean has to step up, he looks sure to progress and is a big price.

Ecrivain is very interesting. He looked in need of the run before Longchamp, from the pictures we saw anyway, and ran well in the circumstances, picking up very well once extracting himself from a bit of traffic. The way he hit the line running suggested he would benefit greatly from the experience, and a bit of drying ground wouldn’t bother him.

Reshabar sprang a major surprise when taking care of Celestin in Prix du Belvedere, but that form looks a little shaky, and a bigger threat might be Alson, second to Victor Ludorum on Arc day last year. The worry would be a lack of a run, but he cannot be discounted either.

Unibet Ecrivain 3/1 win

Unibet Shinning Ocean 22/1 each way

3.25 Deauville 1,000 Guineas Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Group 1) 1m

Tropbeau (nap) brings strong credentials to the table here, particularly as she was one of the few Fabre runners to perform well in the week racing was finally restarted in France. Although her winning margin was only half a length over Dream And Do in the Prix de la Grotte, she responded well to a reminder and found plenty for pressure. She gave the impression she had a lot left in the tank, and will be hard to beat if in the same form.

Simeen’s win over Golden Crown at Chantilly was a little less impressive, but she remains unbeaten and may have more to come.

Dream And Do ought to run her race again, but whether she can find that bit extra to reverse form with Tropbeau has to be open to question, and Tickle Me Green, just behind the pair of them in third in the Grotte, looks better each-way value. That was her first start for Fabre and she may well have needed the run. It’s not hard to see here reversing form with Dream And Do, and for those looking for something at a bigger price than the favourite, she may be the one.

Unibet Tropbeau (nap) 6/4 win

Unibet Tickle Me Green 13/2 each way