Our man in France Jason Kiely guides us through Tuesday's card at Deauville where he has selections for all the big races.
A key part of the racing summer, the August Festival at Deauville kicks off with a quirkily-placed, yet stellar card on Tuesday afternoon.
The €300,000 Group 1 Prix Rothschild (14.33) is the highlight of the mid-week bonanza, supported by a wave of stakes contests at the Normandy-based venue and our man in France, Jason Kiely, highlights the horses to follow across the action-packed afternoon.
EXCELLENT TENEBRISM THE KEY COMPONENT
She may not have set the clock alight like Too Darn Hot did in 2019 or be breathtaking like Pinatubo was in 2020, but TENEBRISM did however, become the first filly to win the Gr.1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville and on Tuesday bids to secure a unique double in the Gr.1 Prix Rothschild (14.33), where she takes on six rivals.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien who took this contest in 2021 with the excellent Mother Earth and in 2017 with Roly Poly, Tenebrism can continue to uphold the reputation of three-year-olds who have done exceptionally well in the fillies and mares contest over the last ten years.
Unbeaten in two runs as a juvenile, the selection has won two Group 1 contests in only five career starts and looks like the one to beat on her first step into open company. A substantial weight-for-age allowance sees Ryan Moore’s mount carry only 56kgs, while all her rivals, except for Malavath, are lumbered with 59kgs.
Impeccably bred, the daughter of Caravaggio was workmanlike when winning over seven furlongs last time out and will bid to emulate her dam, Immortal Verse, who was a Group 1 winner over the straight mile at Deauville, in the first of four top-flight contests at the track this August.
Greenness and a disliking for the undulations of Ascot were to blame for Tenebrism’s lacklustre performance at the Royal Meeting, therefore, with the pan-flat track at Deauville already successfully trialled, the tenacious filly should be able to make a winning return to a mile on Tuesday.
CAN THE OLDER GENERATION MAKE EXPERIENCE COUNT?
David O’Meara’s Amazing Maria completed the Duke Of Cambridge – Prix Rothschild double in 2015 and now it is the turn of Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Royal Ascot heroine Saffron Beach to bid to secure the same elusive haul.
The-four-year-old daughter of New Bay has been a pillar of consistency (despite not seeing out the trip in the Oaks at Epsom) since her winning debut at Newmarket in 2020 and looks the main threat to Tenebrism.
Yet to set foot on French soil and lumbering the burden of 3kgs more because of her age, Saffron Beach's Achilles' Heel may prove to be the punchier style of racing in France or the forecast softer going, however, she is a specialist at a mile and will have the assistance of William Buick.
In what is set to be a race for overseas raiders, Paddy Twomey’s Pearls Galore looks the only other realistic winner in the field. Strictly on figures, the 109-rated four-year-old falls a little short of her two main rivals, however, she has shown a liking for French racing and chased home Space Blues at Group 1 level last term. Along with no issues on the forecast going, Pearls Galore comes into the race in superb form and should either of the top two misfire, she is an able deputy to give her local owners, Haras de Saint-Pair, another poignant success.
The primary French challenger is Francis-Henri Graffard’s Breeders' Cup runner-up Malavath, who despite being out of form in recent months performs well at Deauville and is also in receipt of the 3kgs from the older horses. On her best figures Sibila Spain could have a say in the placings while Goldistyle will need to improve to emulate her dam Goldikova, winner of this race on four occasions.
VERDICT – 1. TENEBRISM 2. Pearls Galore 3. Saffron Beach
THE ANTARCTIC FACES TOUGH TASK
He may have chased home Blackbeard and pulled someway clear of his pursuers at Chantilly recently, but the O’Brien trained The Antarctic is no certainty in Group 3 Prix De Cabourg (13.18).
The speedy colt made a satisfactory debut on French soil and rated 106, the Ballydoyle raider is one of ten to line up it the most competitive two-year-old race of the year so far in France.
Soft ground could play havoc with these youngsters but one who should handle it is the unbeaten GOOD GUESS. This expensive purchase hasn’t been flashy in his two starts at Chantilly but he has got the job done under the minimal of riding and sees out the trip well.
Although trained by Fabrice Chappet, the powerful juvenile boasts a similar profile to Andre Fabre’s 2019 winner Earthlight, who was unbeaten over the exact same distances before stepping up successfully into graded company.
Two of the leading juvenile fillies in France, Sivana and Wootton City, also line up and although the pair finished in that order at Chantilly on their last encounter, one could expect a reversal of the form on this step up in trip.
VERDICT : 1. GOOD GUESS 2. The Antarctic 3. Wootton City
OPEN CONTEST FOR JUVENILE FILLIES
A race with no huge trends or domination of a represented trainer, the Group 3 Prix Six Perfections Sky Sports Racing (12.43) looks difficult to decipher.
With George Boughey’s Kinta now a non-runner, eight fillies line up for the 1,400m contest and half of those are unbeaten.
Attentions are drawn to Sea The Lady, who was an impressive winner last-time-out at Lion d’Angers and being by Sea The Moon, she is sure to act on the ground.
She is drawn wide however and may struggle to dictate proceedings with Gain It among the eight runners. The Fabrice Chappet-trained, freegoing, filly was a dual winner at Saint-Cloud and although the form is still under scrutiny, she is sure to go well but the vote goes to TERRESTRIAL, who narrowly missed out on a Listed race over course and distance last-time-out.
VERDICT : 1. TERRESTRIAL 2. Sea The Lady 3. Gain It
OTHER RUNNERS TO NOTE
In the opening race on the card, the Gr.3 Prix de Psyche Sky Sports Racing (12.10), there is little to split the majority of runnes, although preference may be for Hidden Dimples. One of three runners in the field for Andre Fabre, the three-year-old fluffed her lines last time out but can be forgiven the run. She is the choice of Mickael Barzalona and her defeat of Gr.1 runner-up La Parisienne two starts ago puts her on top of the pile in a trappy contest where Jessica Harrington’s Trevaunance may out-run her odds.
The final stakes race on the fantastic card, the Listed Prix Du Carrousel (15.08) also looks like going to the Fabre stable. Tides Of War was tenderly handled on his return to action and is chosen over stablemate Joie De Soir.
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