Deauville review: Cankoura claims Prix Pysche

Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, Cankoura was last seen finishing third in the French Oaks [Prix de Diane], beaten just a length and a half.

Settled towards the rear of the seven-strong field by Mikael Barzalona, Cankoura readily picked up when switched to the outside of the field and eased past the more prominently ridden Life Is Beautiful.

The Gosdens runner stuck to her task to claim second but was no match for Cankoura who made the most of the drop in grade to Group 3 company, winning by three quarters of a length and a head.

Nemone Routh, director and racing manager for owner Aga Khan Studs, said: "You're never quite sure but on her form-line she was the hot favourite and she probably should have won today but we had seven out of seven in the stalls.

"Mikael got a nice position on her but she was quite deep and you knew that the fillies in front of him were possibly not going to bring him to the front so he had to bring her out quite early. She's a lovely filly in the sense that she's become much more professional in her races, she really settles now, she breaks well from the stalls, he can put her where he likes, she accelerates, she's just a very straightforward filly and I think that's probably her superpower and she's improving.

"When I saw her in the paddock today you wouldn't think she was fully wound-up, she had a little bit of a belly on her, so I'd imagine she'll come on for this run. That [the Prix Jean Romanet] would be the plan. We'll see how she comes out of this but she is a filly that has good form, she won her listed and it was quite soft so as long as it doesn't get too heavy and she takes this run well, I would imagine that is what we'll do with her now, go to the Group 1 Jean Romanet, she's entered, she's won over course and distance, she's always going to run her race.

"Whether we'll win it or not I don't know but she'll always give her best."

Head's best

Christopher Head introduced a potentially smart colt in Waybreaker in the Prix de Crevecoeur, a maiden for unraced colts and geldings.

The Galiway colt denied favourite Elastic by a short-neck and Head told Sky Sports Racing that he believes Waybreaker has a bright future ahead of him.

"He can pretty much go on heavy, soft ground, anything; he's a very nice horse and he's just in the making and the beginning of his career so it's really a pleasure to see him win. It's really a legendary first race for the horses so it's very good to win this one because you pretty much have a top one.

"There is the possibility that he could run at the end of the month [at Deauville] but we need to discuss with the owners."

Waybreaker is owned by Hisaaki Saito whose colours are also carried by Topgear.

Topgear disappointed in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, finishing last, but Head revealed that the six-year-old had a valid excuse for the run having lost his shoes and confirmed his next target.

"He will be going for the Maurice De Gheest [next Sunday] and everything will be okay with him," he added.

Crazy Spirit

Head had to face the cameras again after watching Green Spirit (9/4 favourite) gain a narrow success over Balantina in the Sky Sports Racing Prix Six Perfections - Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage.

Balantina got first run on the eventual winner who was caught in a pocket but she responded willingly for Maxime Guyon once in the clear and picked up well to collar Ballantina (trained by Joseph O'Brien and ridden by Tom Marquand) on the line.

Green Spirit was extending her unbeaten record to three and will now be stepped up in class having bagged this Group 3 prize with the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp on Arc day very much on the radar.

"It was a bit tough [to watch] because we knew she was in that place during the race where it was going to be a problem in the finish.

"It was all about the strategy in the race, she was a little bit slow out of the stalls, we couldn't reach the front so that was the only downside.

"But she actually kicked off and she really has this tremendous turn of foot, she's crazy. I really want to see her race over a mile now. We will go for the Prix d'Aumale [at Longchamp in September] and then we will go for the Marcel Boussac."

Far from elementary for Watson colt

Tadej (6/4 favourite) was given a no-nonsense ride in the Prix de Cabourg - Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage.

Grabbing the rail early, Hollie Doyle was rousting Tadej along from halfway in the Group 3 contest and the Coventry Stakes sixth responded, going clear.

However, Christophe Soumillon and Afjan loomed large in their wing mirrors, racing three or four off the rail, and seemingly going strongly. Afjan got, at least, upsides Tadej only to wilt in the closing stages as Tadej kept pouring it on.

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