Etienne targets first Group win at Bath

Etienne is chasing his first Group race win on Wednesday as Bath stages a nine-runner handicap where the French five-year-old is the 7-2 favourite.

Bath’s all-weather track suits Etienne, who has run eight times at the Somerset venue and never finished worse than third. This meeting is his ninth start of 2023 and he arrives with two wins and three seconds under trainer David Menuisier. His last outing at Bath in October ended in a narrow victory where he beat stablemate Irakli by a head, so connections clearly rate his chances on a surface they know well.

The Bath card is packed with seven races, beginning at 1.20 and running through until 5.35. All will be shown live on Sky Sports Racing, giving viewers a chance to watch Etienne attempt to land his first Group success. The handicap is the feature race at 3.50, and Etienne’s weight of 9-11 is competitive against rivals carrying between 8-0 and 9-12. His jockey, Aurelien Kahn, has ridden him in five of his eight starts this year and knows exactly what it takes to win at Bath.

If Etienne can overcome the weight and the competitive field, he will secure his first Group race victory and boost his profile for future Pattern races. The win would also be a fillip for Menuisier, who has saddled 15 winners this season but none at Group level. With the Bath meeting providing a clear path to Group success, every yard counts for a horse chasing his next milestone.