Racing: Placerville plays lead

(First Edition)

HENRY CECIL'S Placerville may have been a bit player in the recent workout of Derby favourite Tenby but gets his chance to take centre stage when he contests the Group One Prix Jean Prat (ridden by Pat Eddery) at Longchamp tomorrow.

Richard Hannon's Revelation (Walter Swinburn) is the other cross-Channel challenger taking on the likely favourite Bigstone - trained by Elie Lellouche.

Alhijaz (Lester Piggott) forms part of an eight-strong weekend raiding party on the Continent for John Dunlop but may struggle in Longchamp's other Grade One Event, the Prix d'Ispahan, against Criquette Head's 1992 1,000 Guineas winner Hatoof (Walter Swinburn).

Dunlop probably has better prospects of landing a winner in Rome, where he has sound chances in three of tomorrow's races with Casteddu, Smarginato and the unbeaten juvenile Suspiria.

On the same card, Clive Brittain's Needle Gun (Michael Roberts) is the main British hope in Capannelle's Grade One Derby Italiano, after his fine neck second to leading Derby hope Commander In Chief at York. Persian Brave (Michael Hills), White Muzzle (John Reid), Right Win (Richard Quinn) and Visto Si Stampi (Willie Carson) are the other British entries in the race, which is likely to be contested on firm ground.