A super Sunday in store on the northern coast of France, as the Deauville Festival gets into full swing with the Group One Prix Maurice De Gheest the feature on a mouthwatering 10-race card. Five of the last seven renewals of the race have gone to British-trained horses and it is no surprise to see that France are accountable for only three of the 12 declared runners in the €380,000 contest this year.
With so much to dissect throughout the afternoons action, our man in France Jason Kiely highlights some of the big names to follow, trainers in-form and also the dark horses across the card.
Starman lights up Deauville stage
After Ed Walker said "I dream that he can be the sprinter of our generation" following a first Group One success for the trainer in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket last month, STARMAN is certainly living up to his name.
The four-year-old son of Dutch Art has progressed stratospherically and has gone from zero to Group One hero in just six starts, but this Sunday he faces his toughest task to date.
Run over the unique distance of six and half furlongs, the Prix Maurice De Gheest looks tailormade for Starman, who was one of the first off the bridle and endured some severe traffic issues at Newmarket. He was doing all his best work at the finish and should relish the step up in trip at Deauville.
Drawn in stall seven of 12, Starman should have a clear passage this time round and jockey Tom Marquand can let the enormous colt stride on over the straight course.
Walker is without a winner in France since Stormy Antarctic took a Group Three at Saint Cloud back in 2018, but the Lambourn-based trainer has been in fantastic form of late (operating at 21%) and although the competition looks fierce, Starman should offer his owner/breeder David Ward a day to remember in Normandy this Sunday.
Three-year-old threats
Both three-year-olds when taking the Maurice De Gheest, Martyn Meade’s Advertise (2019) and Charlie Hills’ Muhaarar (2015) have paved the way for the younger generation in recent years and as a result the Classic generation make up almost half the field for this year's renewal.
In receipt of 2kgs from their elders (3.5 for fillies), a strong case can be made for most of the younger generation this Sunday, with the exception of OCEAN, who looks outclassed.
With the benefit of that fillies' allowance, Wesley Ward’s dual Group one scorer CAMPANELLE is without doubt the biggest threat to Starman in the Maurice de Gheest.
A winner on four of her five starts, the globetrotting daughter of Kodiac has been successful in three different countries and has already passed the post in front at Deauville. It is difficult to weigh up exactly where she stands against Starman, but on a strict line through Dragon Symbol (who they have both beaten) the latter comes out on top.
Connections of the Royal Ascot winner would prefer softer underfoot conditions but Campanelle could run Starman close in her bid for a third Group One success and will be partnered once again by Frankie Dettori, who won this race aboard Advertise two years ago.
Recent Group One Prix Jean Prat scorer LAW OF INDICES could be the dark horse of the race and can add to trainer Ken Condon’s already excellent record at Deauville. The son of Power hit he line hard in the Jean Prat and looked like a drop back in trip should pose no problems. Drawn against the rail in stall one, Law Of Indices could spring a surprise, should some of the market leaders misfire.
Joseph O’Brien’s THUNDER MOON and David Evans’ ROHANN make up the remainder of the three-year-old brigade, and although extremely talented, they may struggle to lay a glove on some of the world's best sprinters here.
Can Marinafoot save france?
Home hopes rely solely on the six-year-old MARINAFOOT and one of France’s most promising young trainers Jerome Reynier.
A son of Footstepsinthesand, Marinafoot is unbeaten in France since December 2019 and chases a ninth successive victory.
Although exposed at Group One level in his youth, Marinafoot has progressed along the same trajectory as his young trainer and comes into this race as the sole French contender with a realistic chance of getting involved.
O'Brien can add to French haul
Responsible for five of the 11 Group One winners in France this year, trainer Aiden O’Brien may struggle to land the Maurice De Gheest with LOPE Y FERNANDEZ, but should not come away from Deauville empty-handed as MOGUL lines-up in the Group Three Prix De Reux.
Supplemented for this race by O’Brien, four-year-old Mogul has not been seen at this level since successful at Goodwood in July 2020 and should stamp his authority on some much inferior rivals.
The dual Group One winner has been underwhelming of late but is in receipt of weight from his nearest form rival, Charlie Appleby’s STAR SAFARI and can get back to winning ways on his first attempt at 2,500m.
Valloria can continue progression
Losing little in defeat when fourth in the Group One Prix Jean Prat, the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained filly VALLORIA can get back to winning ways in the Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud (3.25).
Bred by her owners Haras de Saint Pair, the daughter of Dubawi looked like one of the most exciting three-year-old fillies when scoring impressively against her own sex at ParisLongchamp in June and should continue her rise through the ranks this Sunday. Valloria is trying the 1,200m distance for the first time in her career but based on that Jean Prat run, where she was one of the last off the bridle over 1,400m, she should handle this new distance and will be ridden again by jockey Cristian Demuro.
Fabre juveniles worth following
Champion trainer Andre Fabre’s two-year-olds have been in ripe form this summer and the Chantilly-based handler has two well-bred juveniles engaged this Sunday. With both maidens reserved to unraced horses, it may pay to follow the Fabre team.
A son of the mighty Frankel, DREAMFLIGHT (12.58) comes from a top-class family and is out of the Group One placed Dream Piece, a sister to stallion Catcher In The Rye. Bred and owned by Lady Bamford, Dreamflight is bred for middle distance trips and should feel at home over 1,500m on his racecourse debut.
In the fillies' division, RACLETTE (13.33) is also a daughter of Frankel and comes from a fine Juddmonte Farms breeding line. Her mother Emollient was a four-time Group One winner in the Untied States and has already produced black type performer Peace Charter to score on debut. Although there are 15 declared runners, Raclette is one of the best-bred by a long way and could be worth following.
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