Supplemented Chaldean to beat Hi Royal again in 2000 Guineas rematch

By John Ingles

Horse Racing

Sun July 09, 2023 · 1y ago

John Ingles previews a competitive Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday in which the first two from the 2000 Guineas meet again.

Sunday’s Prix Jean Prat (1450 BST) at Deauville is the last chance for three-year-olds over shorter trips to bag a Group 1 before they have to take on older rivals. Among recent winners to have seized that opportunity are the high-class British-trained colts Pinatubo and Too Darn Hot, both of them top two-year-olds who had won the Dewhurst but who didn’t win at three until sent across the Channel for the slightly easier pickings on offer in the Jean Prat. Pinatubo finished third in the 2000 Guineas and runner-up in the St James’s Palace Stakes beforehand, while Too Darn Hot was runner-up in the Dante and Irish 2000 Guineas before finishing third in the St James’s Palace.

Now that he’s been supplemented, Chaldean is therefore the latest Dewhurst winner who was also placed in the St James’s Palace to try to regain the winning thread at Deauville, having come up against the Irish 2000 Guineas winner Paddington at Royal Ascot. But unlike that other pair, for Chaldean this is more of a bonus mission, with the 2000 Guineas already safely in the bag, rather than an attempt to restore a reputation that had taken some knocks. His addition to the field, at a cost of €28,800 – with Oisin Murphy standing in for the suspended Frankie Dettori – certainly puts a different complexion on the race.

Otherwise, this might have been a good opportunity for Kevin Ryan’s Hi Royal to register a first win at the top level and, ironically, he might well have been Murphy’s ride again instead – as in his two previous starts this year - had Chaldean not been supplemented. He was a 125/1 outsider when beaten a length and a quarter into second by Chaldean in the 2000 Guineas and largely backed up that improved effort when third behind Paddington at the Curragh. Hi Royal made the running in both races, so the drop back to seven furlongs might well suit him.

Another set of connections who might have been hoping for an easier opportunity here are Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore whose filly Meditate has been banging her head against a brick wall in the form of Tahiyra. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf winner was beaten for a fourth time behind the Aga Khan’s filly when fourth in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot but taking on colts now, notably Chaldean, doesn’t look an easier assignment. However, her stable did win this race last year with the filly Tenebrism who’d also finished fourth in the Coronation beforehand.

The shorter trip should also be in the favour of the Craven Stakes winner Indestructible, though he’s another who could have done without meeting Chaldean again having been runner-up to him twice last season and finished behind him in the 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace more recently. Charyn contested the latter two contests too, faring much better when third at Royal Ascot than he had done at Newmarket, and finishing fourth in the Irish 2000 Guineas in between.

Shouldvebeenaring won a listed race over this trip at Newmarket in May but is coming at this from a different angle, having mainly been campaigned as a sprinter, but he wasn’t able to confirm his good second to Little Big Bear in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock from a less than ideal draw in the Commonwealth Cup last time. He’ll have Christophe Soumillon on board for the first time.

Who are the main threats among the home team?

Chaldean isn’t the only one in the field with a Group 1 at two to his name. Belbek won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp but that smart effort stands out amongst the rest of his form and, having been beaten twice in Group 3 company this season, he looks up against it in a bid to win at the top level again. He’ll also need to turn the tables on some of these, having finished third behind Good Guess and Breizh Sky in the Prix Djebel over this course and distance in the spring.

Breizh Sky fared the better of that pair in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains next time when third, and came out on top in the Prix Paul de Moussac back over seven furlongs at Longchamp last month, when Good Guess was runner-up and Belbek was in a dead-heat for fifth. In truth, the form of the French contenders is much of a muchness. The filly Showay, who almost unseated her rider leaving the stalls before finishing fourth in the Paul de Moussac, is one of two fillies in the field for Patrice Cottier. Stablemate Sauterne has been placed in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and then the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly on her last couple of starts but this looks tougher.

German 1000 Guineas winner Habana showed plenty of speed when making all at Dusseldorf last time to beat the useful British-trained fillies Stenton Glider and Dream of Love so shouldn’t be inconvenienced by dropping back a furlong and that form looks at least as good as anything the French contenders have shown.

Night of Lightning completes the field and while he’s open to further improvement after just two starts, he’s taking a huge jump in class after winning a maiden at Compiegne last month by a head.

Summing up, this looks another renewal likely to go to one of the visitors, and while Hi Royal would have had good claims down in trip, the supplemented CHALDEAN can prove too good for him again as at Newmarket.

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org

Like what you've read?