Quality Casting

[Wandering Eyes]

Deauville host a fascinating and wide-open renewal of the G1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest on Sunday, the only 6 1/2-furlong race of its nature in Europe and one which fits a perfect niche for the staying sprinters and the faster milers. It obviously suited Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) 12 months ago as he upstaged the seven-furlong specialist Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Angie Bailey’s rock-solid performer comes back off arguably a better performance in the G1 July Cup than he did last year. Runner-up to U S Navy Flag (War Front) in the July 14 Newmarket feature, he is re-opposed by the third-placed Fleet Review (War Front) and the race’s main disappointment Sands of Mali (Fr) (Panis). The latter was 12th of 13, perhaps giving his clearest sign that he had had enough of fast ground, having previously run second on it in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 22. Successful in last year’s G2 Gimcrack S. at York and the May 26 G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock, the Cool Silk Partnership’s standard-bearer needs a win at the highest level and trainer Richard Fahey believes it is around the corner. “To be honest he didn’t run any race at Newmarket, but he has done that before and has bounced back,” he said. “We are very happy with him and he is in great form. I can’t find any reason for his last run. Whether he was on the wrong side and came up the wrong strip, I don’t know, but he is great order now. He had an off-day, we all have them.”

France’s main hope looks to rest with the May 13 G3 Prix de Saint-Georges winner City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who went so close to taking the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. back home with him last time, and a pair of Freddy Head-trained 3-year-old fillies. The former was denied in a bobber by Merchant Navy (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in that June 23 Royal Ascot feature and Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard’s 4-year-old appears still to be on the upgrade. Head, who has saddled both Marchand D’Or (Fr) (Marchand de Sable) and Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) to win three of these apiece, thinks there is little between Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Efaadah (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). The stable won this meeting’s opening group 1, the Rothschild, with With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}) on Sunday and both fillies are strong contenders.

Polydream was second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Chantilly in October and bounced back from an unplaced effort in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp May 13 when beating Inns of Court (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the latter venue’s seven-furlong G3 Prix du Palais-Royal June 2. TDN Rising Star Efaadah also beat Inns of Court in the G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot over seven at ParisLongchamp June 30, so there is very little between them. “I’m very confident [about Polydream],” Head said. “She ran over a mile last year and it is hard to say she didn’t stay given how the form has worked out, but she’s always shown me lots of pace. When Wild Illusion beat her in the Boussac she picked up an injury that day, that was why she never ran again before the Pouliches. In the Pouliches it was a rush to get her there, she had a bad draw and she pulled too hard. It’s easy to forget the race. We saw the real Polydream last time, that form is strong. My other filly has a good chance and I don’t think there’s much between them at all.” Also thrown into the mix are a trio of group 1 winners in The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), Librisa Breeze (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}), Unfortunately (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) for an edition that stands up to any in recent history.

At Dusseldorf, the G1 Henkel-Preis Der Diana, or German Oaks, Stall Ullmann bids to end a long drought with the June 10 G2 Diana Trial winner Well Timed (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). The authority of the bay’s success in that 10-furlong Hoppegarten prep suggests she will be hard to beat as she also looks to provide trainer Jean-Pierre Carvalho with a first Diana victory. Andreas Wohler has won three of the last four renewals and puts forward a quartet of which Jaber Abdullah’s June 10 G2 Oaks d’Italia heroine Sand Zabeel (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) appears the chief contender.

 

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