Saturday’s French banker of the day is an exciting alternative to the likely favourite in the Prix des Chenes…

Synaren (Mickael Barzalona/Francis-Henri Graffard)

Chantilly – R5 – Prix des Chenes

· Could improve for the application of blinkers

· Comfortable winner of a 1400m maiden at the track

· Breeding suggests the step up to 1600m

In a competitive field where recent Saint-Cloud winner Elastic is likely to head the market, the Aga Khan-owned Synaran offers a competitive alternative.

Although well-beaten on debut in a 1400m Saint-Cloud unraced conditions behind Segall, the son of Mehmas improved on his second run, recording a comfortable half-length success tackling the same distance at Chantilly. The form has been given a boost since with the second-placed Street Show winning subsequently, and Synaran appeared to be a colt who could continue to improve.

With blinkers applied for the first time and a step up to 1600m, the Francis-Henri Graffard trained colt is capable of another step forward. He hails from the same maternal family as Siyouni; another beautifully-bred Aga Khan individual.