Sunday Best From Aljazzi

[Wandering Eyes]

Deauville’s annual festival starts in earnest on Sunday, with the G1 Prix Rothschild the first of the meeting’s top-level contests. Following her 3 3/4-length defeat of the re-opposing Tribute Act (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in Royal Ascot’s G2 Duke of Cambridge S. June 20, Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar’s homebred Aljazzi (GB) (Shamardal) sits atop the perch and trainer Marco Botti is confident she is in the right place to back up that career-best. “Everything has gone well since she ran at Ascot. I couldn’t be happier with her,” he said. “She won really well at Ascot and seems to be in the same form this time. Obviously we skipped the Falmouth. We felt it would come a bit too soon for her and hopefully it was the right decision.”

Best of the domestic team may be George Strawbridge’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who took last year’s G3 Prix des Reservoirs here but who needs to prove she has the pace for this type of test. Fifth in the G1 Prix de Diane tackling 10 1/2 furlongs at Chantilly June 17, she faces a genuine speed merchant in Godolphin’s Rosa Imperial (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). Having won the six-furlong G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis at Maisons-Laffitte last June, she plied her trade as a sprinter thereafter but was successful at this distance in the course-and-distance Listed Prix de la Calonne July 8. “She is a very relaxed mare, with a great temperament, and we are hopeful that she can step up to the mark,” Godolphin’s Lisa-Jane Graffard commented. “She acquitted herself well on her only previous Group 1 appearance in the Prix Maurice de Gheest, all things considered. It was only her fourth start and she came back quite jarred up, which is why it took her a while to get going again. She is a mare that we have always thought a lot of, but there is no such thing as an easy Group 1 and this is far from a penalty kick for her. There are thunderstorms in the forecast and any rain would help.”

Cabourg No Laughing Matter…

In the G3 Darley Prix de Cabourg, the Prix Morny hopefuls go on trial and Karl Burke bids for another successful trip to France with Keller, Redvers and Donald’s Comedy (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}). She beat the subsequent winner Star Terms (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) with a degree of comfort in a Doncaster novice stakes June 29 and the stable know where they stand with the recent G3 Prix du Bois scorer Little Kim (GB) (Garswood {GB}). She faces the impressive June 22 Chantilly conditions scorer Wind Test (GB) (Epaulette {Aus}), who bids to provide Attilio Giorgi with a follow-up to his yard’s success in the 2015 G3 Prix du Bois with Fly On the Night (GB) (Equiano {Fr}).

Return To Batl…

Munich’s G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis sees the return to action of Godolphin’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Off since disappointing as the heavily-backed favourite for Royal Ascot’s G1 Queen Anne S. June 19, the G1 Dubai Turf hero needs the ground to ease. “The temperature was 48C in Germany on Thursday,” trainer Saeed bin Suroor said. “It was even hotter than Dubai at this time of the year. I am hoping they get some rain prior to the race. He has worked well since [Ascot] and I am pleased with him.” Benbatl is due to take on Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley Oct. 27. “We will see how he goes in Germany. It is possible he could then have one more run before going into quarantine for the trip to Australia,” he added.

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