Dubai: Godolphin has launched a strong two-pronged challenge at Monday’s €200,000 (Dh800,000) Priz Ganay, the first European Group 1 race of the season, at Saint-Cloud, France.

One of the early-season showpiece races of the French calendar, the 2,100 metre contest offers last season’s Classic generation a chance to be tested against older horses.

Charlie Appleby, Godolphin’s Newmarket-based handler, has sent across 2016 Coral Eclipse Stakes (G1) victor Hawkbill to join the stable’s French-trained Cloth Of Stars, winner of his two most recent starts — the Group 2 Prix Harcourt and the Group 3 Prix Exbury — in the race which Godolphin won in 2010 with Andre Fabre’s Cutlass Bay.

The pair face six rivals, including the Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained Zarak, who was fourth behind Japan’s Vivlos at the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan last month.

Interestingly, Royer-Dupre is the most successful trainer in the contest with five wins including Kartajana (1991), Valanour (1996), Astarabad (1998), Dark Moondancer (1999), Dariyan (2016)

“Cloth Of Stars has had an ideal preparation, winning the two lead-up races,” Fabre said. “He is in great form and goes on any ground, so I’m not worried about that. He needs to make the step up into G1 company now, and show improvement again on his last two starts, if he is to make that transition.”

Hawkbill ran three times last year following his Eclipse triumph, before ending the season with a third-place finish in the Group 1 Grosser Preis Von Bayem in Munich.

“He did very well in Dubai over the winter,” the trainer said. “He goes into the Ganay fresh and well, and it looks like he should get conditions to suit. If he brings his ‘A Game’ to Saint-Cloud, he should be very competitive.”

Also in the fray is the Andreas Wohler-trained Potemkin, a last-start winner of the Group 1 Premio Roma.

Four-year-olds have a good record in the Prix Gana, whose most high-profile recent winner was Cirrus des Aigles, who won the race three times in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

Meanwhile, Usherette, Godolphin’s dual Group 2 winner, launches her 2017 campaign in the Group 2 Prix Du Muguet on the same Saint-Cloud card.

Jimmy Two Times and Toscanini also line up for Godolphin in the mile contest.

Fabre said: “Usherette clearly has the class to win a race like this, but she is making her seasonal debut and will probably need this race more than some of the others. She has done well.

“Jimmy Two Times is coming into this in great form, having won his prep race in pleasing style. Any forecast rain will be a bonus for him.”

Toscanini, who is trained by Richard Fahe will be ridden by William Buick.

Fahey commented: “We were very pleased with Toscanini’s first run for us at Doncaster. We have been very happy with him since and we will see how he gets on.”

The field also includes Group 1 Prix De La Foret runner-up Karar and Group 1 Qatar Prix Du Moulin De Longchamp second Spectre.

Elsewhere, on Monday’s Saint-Cloud card, Appleby’s maiden winners Wolf Country and Fabre’s Sand Fox line-up in the 12-furlong Prix De L’Avre for three-year-olds.