Deauville racing preview tips: Timefigure view on today's French racing

By Graeme North

Horse Racing

Sun July 06, 2025 · 6M ago

Our timefigure expert Graeme North looks ahead to today's quality racing from Deauville - don't miss his three selections.

Group 1 action is back again in France this weekend with the Prix Jean Prat, a race over the straight 1400m at Deauville.

Nine runners have been declared for the penultimate Group 1 race of the season in France restricted to three-year-olds – the final one is the Grand Prix de Paris next Sunday - and not only has it has attracted arguably a more competitive field than in recent seasons but has also been chosen as the next step on the road for The Lion In Winter whose future looked very rosy after he won the Acomb Stakes at York last August, when he had subsequent 2000 Guineas winner Ruling Court winner back in third, but not so much now after returning with sixth place in the Dante Stakes at York and fourteenth place in the Derby at Epsom.

It's not out of the question that The Lion In Winter will bounce back dropped significantly in trip - after all, back in 1987 Ajdal won the July Cup straight after finishing ninth in the Derby – but Ajdal went into the July Cup with a much more convincing three-year-old profile than The Lion In Winter (he’d won the Craven, finished fifth in the 2000 Guineas and then third (before being disqualified after Walter Swinburn failed to weigh in) in the Irish 2000) and given The Lion In Winter is by Sea The Stars out of a mare who won over a mile and a half and who herself was out of a Galileo mare who won at eleven and a half furlongs, it’s hard to think this is not much more than an experimental throw of the dice for the one-time 2000 Guineas favourite.

Nonetheless, Classic form is represented by Shadow Of Light, who finished third in the 2000 behind Ruling Court, and Cosmic Year, who finished second behind Field of Gold in the Irish equivalent. Shadow Of Light, who won both the Middle Park and Dewhurst last year, looked something of a non-stayer at Newmarket for all the pace wasn’t strong, and hardly impressed with his finishing effort on his only start since either in the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot where he was fifth overall and only fourth on his side, albeit his stable had several run below form that week.

Cosmic Year wins under Ryan Moore

Cosmic Year finished much further behind Field Of Gold at the Curragh than Shadow of Light had at Newmarket, but stark differences in the pace at which both races were run explain most of that and the smart turn of foot he showed when winning at Kempton earlier this year, albeit he didn’t beat much, prior to a decent win in the listed King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket suggest he’s well equipped for the drop back to this straight 1400m.

One of two fillies in the race, Cheveley Park runner-up Daylight will appreciate the return to 1400m after finishing out of the places in the French 1000 last time but the most interesting of the home contenders are Maranoa Charlie and Woodshauna and they met most recently at Chantilly in May where Woodshauna came out on top with Maranoa Charlie only fourth with one of the two spots in between filled, interestingly, by Commonwealth Cup winner Time For Sandals. That form guide might not be the most reliable, however, with Maranoa Charlie’s connections at the time in the process of attempting to redefine him as a sprinter and the patient tactics he employed back in trip that day backfired as he never landed a blow. The pair had also met here in April, in the Prix Djebel over today’s course and distance, when Maranoa Charlie disposed of a race-fit Woodshauna as well as another of today’s runners, also race fit that day too, Silius, and I’m not expecting it to be any different today. Maranoa Charlie increased his superiority over Silius to two lengths when the pair met in the Group 3 Prix Paul de Moussac last time, allowed to bowl along in front from his inside draw and never in much danger, and he’s since sold to a Yorkshire-based syndicate who have their eye on the City of York Stakes at the Ebor meeting. Price is everything of course and though I’d fancy him at the generally available 4-1, the forecast stiffish crosswind won’t help those drawn nearest the rail, so not bet for me.

On the contrary, the second race of the day, the Group 3 Prix de Ris-Orangis, has an attractive betting shape to it, even more so if all the eight declared runners stand their ground. One of the eight is Spycatcher, who won this race two years ago when beating the even-then ageing Batwan by three lengths in a weak renewal but he managed only sixth in 2024 when behind Batwan on this occasion in a rather bunched finish in a renewal won by Shouldvebeenaring. Spycatcher returned to Deauville seven weeks after that to win the Prix de Meautry, when third-place Beauvatier, who also lines up again, looked inconvenienced to the tune of 4lb or so by his outside draw, and deserves respect given his form is on the same level this season, albeit he comes here off a poorer effort in the Chipchase at Newcastle than he managed on the back of an identical warm-up last year. Beauvatier didn’t have much luck after the Meautry, getting no sort of run from far too far back in the Prix de la Foret, doing well at all to finish third, before finishing under a length behind Kind Of Blue in the fourth place in the Champions Sprint at Ascot. He’s the obvious selection for me, at least on his form at sprint trips, but there wasn’t much zip on his reappearance when last behind Topgear at Longchamp, the only time he’s finished out of the first four other than in the French 2000 when ill at ease on the fast ground, and he wouldn’t want the ground (currently officially good, so likely quicker than that ) to be too fast. The best horse in the race, and a Group 1 winner too, meaning he has to concede weight all round, albeit not as much as had that win came this year, is Tribalist. He won the Group 2 Prix du Muguet over 1600m at Saint-Cloud last time, but he looked like a fish out of water tried as a sprinter in this race last year and is not hard to oppose. The evergreen Batwan is back again along with another fellow veteran National Service, while Lanzalot Gold and Ten Horns are attempting to make the step up from handicaps, but if there is one horse with the potential to improve a lot yet already has smart form it’s TOYOTOMI who has joined David O’Meara since his latest run.

Ex-French sprinting stable switchers has been a good angle this season, largely I suspect because many of the best French sprinters are based in stables that have very little to work them with, and Mgheera and Monteille (albeit she was trained by the now-retired former Arc-winning trainer Pascal Bary who was winding his small string down) have both been highlighted successfully in this column this year at big prices. Until now, Toyotomi was with Manon Scandella-Lacaille, who was also had Mgheera, who has since improved between 7lb and 14lb since joining Ed Walker, and though she has got four wins out of the son of Blue Point, most recently a listed race here in April where he was slowly away and raced in last place for much of the way before showing a smart turn of foot to lead inside the last 200m, there’s a good chance he will step forward having joined a yard with many more similar types to work him with. Toyotom’s second place behind subsequent Queen Elizabeth II winner Lazzat in another listed race in May was a fine effort, running the fastest penultimate 200m as he was manoeuvred out from some traffic on the rail, not given a hard time either inside the last as it was clear he wouldn’t catch the winner, while I’d be inclined to overlook his latest fourth behind Monteille at Chantilly back at 1000m as it was a clear indication he needs further than the 1000m trip he was racing at for the first time. Strictly on form, he’s got some improvement to find, and though I had hoped for a bigger price than the generally available 17-2 he wouldn’t be the first horse to join David O’Meara to take a big step forward. I’m encouraged he’s persuaded French champion jockey Maxime Guyon is keeping the ride and stall 5 is ideal.

Three listed races complete the card starting with the Prix Roland de Chambure in which James Horton runs Sirius A and Karl Burke runs Elusive Butterfly. The latter earned a Timeform large P after her debut at Ripon last month where she finished fourth behind one of the first nursery winners of this season, Front Line Fury, but this looks a big step too far too soon and she’ll do well to get close to Sirius A who finished fourth in a Newbury maiden that has thrown up several subsequent winners before winning himself at Leicester. Former Epsom trainer Adam West hasn’t had the greatest of starts to his career in France and will be hoping for a good run from his unbeaten Viva La Skids, the winner of a couple of minor races so far and a winner from a subsequent winner at Lyon-Parilly last time, but Christopher Head’s easy Saint-Cloud winner Nighttime looks the one to beat albeit his price isn’t attractive.

The Prix Amandine over 1400m for three-year-old fillies who have not won a Group race this year has attracted thirteen runners, headed on Timeform ratings by Ghoufrann who was second in the Prix Imprudence here in April and has since contested the French 1000 (ninth) and the Prix Sandringham (sixth). The drop back in trip might help as neither of those last two runs are good enough on paper, but she’s got the look of an exposed filly and I’d be inclined to look elsewhere.

MEDUSA MERGER and Epsom Blue Cen are next best on ratings, and both looked unlucky for different reasons in the listed Prix Volterra won rather fortuitously by Ed Walker’s Troia at Longchamp last time, the former because she was set too much to do and the latter because she not only got boxed in but also because she got barged sideways by Troia. The fourth from that race, Motu Proprio and sixth Stupor Mundi also reoppose, while the Crisfords reappearing Princess Margaret fourth (and Oh So Sharp sixth) Mandurah and the Aga Khan Studs Kerkila (second last time out to Prix Jean Prat contestant Cacofonix) add some further interest but Medusa Merger was a rattlingly good winner of a handicap at Longchamp at this trip two starts back and would arguably have won easily last time had the race not been run at a dawdle and Christophe Soumillon will want to put things right this time in a bigger field than last time.

The final listed race, the Prix Goldikova, for older fillies and mares over 1600m who also haven’t won a Group race this season, looks a tight affair too with very little separating Karl Burkes’s Bright Thunder, Markus Munch’s Euboa and Mickael Suror’s Chiaraniya at the head of Timefom’s ratings. Bright Thunder won a listed race at Chantilly last year and finished a good second to Spiritual in the Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom last month, so comes here at the top of her game, though she’s a strong traveller and whether she’ll prove effective trying a straight mile for the first time remains to be seen. Euboa has been placed in her last four of her last five races including two at listed level and two at Group 3, but all those races have come over further than today’s 1600 and even as far as 2100m and she’s not run at a trip this short since her second career start back in 2023.

Chiaraniya is a solid performer in handicaps if still to prove at this level, like many of her opponents, and if there is one filly who could step up it is RUBIES FROM BURMA from the Henry de Bromhead yard.

She was third on her reappearance behind Soprano and subsequent Duke Of Cambridge winner Crimson Advocate in the listed Snowdrop Stakes at Kempton, finishing ahead of two higher rated fillies, and she ran well as could have been expected last time after a nine-week break in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes won by the multiple Group 1 winner Porta Fortuna. Two winners and two thirds from his last six runners suggest Bromhead’s stable is firing on all guns again and he identified two winning opportunities for Higher Leaves in France last year, the first at odds of 23-1. Christophe Soumillon takes the ride.

Pinta has won her last two races in calmer waters at Compiegne and her comeback win in May was her first race for twelve months since winning at the same meeting the previous year, She can be expected to improve for that as well as the extra 200m but the 6-1 about the Bromhead challenger looks the way to go.

Selections

1pt win Toyotomi in 13.33 Deauville at 8/1 (General)

1pt win Medusa Merger in 15.05 Deauville at 7/2 (General)

1pt win Rubies From Burma in 16.23 Deauville at 15/2 (William Hill)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook | Free bets

Published at 0915 BST on 06/07/25

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