View from France: Deauville Sunday betting preview and tips

A VERRY ELLEEGANT SUNDAY AT DEAUVILLE

All the talk around the paddocks at Deauville on Sunday will most likely revolve around the eleven-time Gr.1 winner Verry Elleegant, who makes her much awaited European debut in the Gr.1 Prix Jean Romanet. The fantastic Sunday card boasts a Gr.1 double-header and is well-supported across the afternoon, with plenty of British and Irish-trained horses thrown in for good measure.

VERRY ELLEGANT TAKES ON EUROPE

Bred in New Zealand, a champion in Australia, ridden by an Italian and trained in France – is Verry Elleegant the one to beat in Sunday’s Gr.1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet?

Solid at the head of the market, the seven-year-old will need to buck trends if she is to make a successful European bow and connections have already stated that Sunday is a prep-run in her tilt at the Gr.1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in six weeks’ time.

The Australian Queen left Chris Waller earlier in the year and joined the boxes of Chantilly’s Francis-Henri Graffard for her European voyage, although her current handler has been having a lean spell on the big stage this season. Campaigned incredibly over a variety of distances ranging from seven furlongs to two miles over the last year, Verry Elleegant is undoubtedly versatile and should find Sunday’s one mile and two-furlong contest optimal.

Last years run-away Melbourne Cup winner will be ridden for the first-time by Frankie Dettori, who also comes in for the ride on Persian Force in the Gr.1 Prix Morny (13.33) earlier on the card and, taking on seven younger rivals, she will bid to become the oldest winner of the Gr.1 Prix Jean Romanet since its inception in 2004.

Ben Linfoot's five horses to take out of York

THE SEVEN STANDING IN HER WAY ARE

Seven smart fillies will attempt to steal the limelight for Sunday’s feature, including Verry Elleegant’s stablemate Ebaiyra. The former Alain de Royer-Dupre trained has yet to reach the winners spot at Gr.1 level and was last seen finishing third in Germany. A multiple stakes winner, the five-year-old holds a leading chance on ratings and is the third highest rated, behind Verry Ellegant and the Richard Hannon-trained Aristia.

Aristia took Nashwa to within a length and a half at Goodwood on her latest run and could be a plumb each-way selection at the prices. A Listed winner, the daughter of Starspangledbanner looks to be on an upward curve and will be ridden by Sean Levey.

Much like Ebaiyra, Burgarita is Gr.1 placed but struggles to put it together on the big day and may have to settle for a place. Rosscarbery comes into the mix on figures for trainer Paddy Twomey and aside from her mishap at The Curragh she is unbeaten in five runs this term. She is perhaps the most interesting of the overseas raiders and can continue to make waves under jockey Billy Lee.

VERDICT: 1. ARISTA 2. EBAIYRA 3. VERRY ELLEEGANT

NO FRENCH REPRESENTATION IN MORNY

The Darley Prix Morny (13.33) is the pinnacle of summer juvenile racing in France and in recent years, the 1200m contest has houses precocious champions such as No Nay Never, Shalaa, Lady Aurelia and Perfect Power in 2021. There has been only one French winner in the last ten years, however, but it is still a shock to see not one French trainer's name among the five declared runners for this year’s contest.

Aiden O’Brien has campaigned Blackbeard relentlessly this summer but the talented two-year-old has responded present on every occasion and will bid to emulate his sire, No Nay Never, who took this contest in 2013. His dominance at Chantilly sent a ripple through the racing world and the 115-rated colt looks difficult to beat in the €350,000 contest.

Persian Force looks the only one of Blackbeard's four rivals with a genuine chance of stopping the O’Brien train from rolling into the winner’s enclosure again at Deauville, but the Amo Racing-owned colt will need to finish off better than he did when seven lengths behind Little Big Bear two weeks ago. Hope comes from the fact that Frankie Dettori takes over in the saddle on Persian Force, but connections may have to content themselves with second place, providing he can get the better of the supplemented The Antarctic.

The two remaining runners are Richard Fahey’s The Ridler, who could be dangerous under the rider of the moment Christophe Soumillon, and the Amy Murphy-trained Manhattan Jungle, the only filly in the field and up against it on the figures.

VERDICT: 1. BLACKBEARD 2. THE RIDLER 3. THE ANCTARTIC

STAYERS DO BATTLE IN KERGORLAY

A specialist division, the 3,000m Gr.2 Prix Kergorlay (15.25) sees some of the leading stayers in France do battle and bizarrely, the seven-runner marathon does not include an English or Irish runner.

Ryan Moore gets the leg up once again onto the Andre Fabre-trained Joie Du Soir and if the pair produce the same performance they did over course and distance three weeks ago, then they will be difficult to beat.

Second that day, The Good Man reopposes, although his regular rider Theo Bachelot jumps ship and will be onboard Road To Arc, one of the higher rated in the field.

The danger of the race could be Skazino, who has bounced back to form in his last two runs and took this race last year in a thrilling finish.

SMALL FIELD FOR POMONE

The final stakes race on the card, the Gr.2 Prix de Pomone (16.00) sees only five runners go to post. Despite the reduced numbers, the 2,500m contest is high in quality. Sea La Rosa returns following an excellent effort at Goodwood last time out and will be tough to beat under Tom Marquand. The French-trained pair of Jannah Flower and Any Time Soon are on a sharp upward curve with preference given to the former. Jannah Flower chased home Quickthorn last time out and with that form now boosted at York, the Pascaal Bary-trained filly may get her head in front for the first time at group level.

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