No doubt about the big race of the weekend: the Prix Jacques le Marois (Deauville, 3:04).
The eight assembled to chase the €630,000 first prize includes the last two Poulains winners, Metropolitan and Marhaba Ya Sanafi, but even just looking at it from a ratings perspective it is hard to fancy either winning. Since beating eight rivals at Longchamp, Marhaba Ya Sanafi finished last in this in 2023, has changed yards and won a Listed race, been sixth in the Prix d’Ispahan and won a Group 3 at Chantilly. He won’t be winning today. Metropolitan beat twelve rivals in what looks a poor Poulains in hindsight and was over three lengths third in the St James’s Palace. That does not look good enough as form lines through the Royal Ascot winner give Haatem the beating of the French colt. Richard Hannon’s colt has placed in two Classics before getting his head in front in the Jersey and looks the most likely of the three year olds for the win. Unbeaten Quddwah steps up to the top table after collecting a weak Summer Mile with a little to spare but he will need to improve seven or eight pounds to win today and that might be just a little too much to ask. King Gold was a total no-show defending his Prix Maurice de Gheest crown last week and his one mile win was in 2020 so he is easily discounted. Big Rock is the top rated runner in the field but he earned that rating last year in the QEII having run second in this race on soft ground. It will not be ‘soft’ today at Deauville and since switching yards his two races this term have been underwhelming. Inspiral comes here chasing a hat-trick in the race with Ryan Moore taking over the steering. However, she is another that has underwhelmed this term and to get in the history books she will have to run like her career best in this race in 2022, a feat that seems unlikely. So that leaves just the favourite CHARYN, ahead of Inspiral and Big Rock at Newbury and Big Rock in the Queen Anne. Tactically uncomplicated for Silvestre de Sousa and the clear form pick today.
The support card features a five-runner Prix Gontaut-Biron (1:33) that could be a tactical affair between Al Hakeem and Feed The Flame, the latter placed in the Prix Ganay, Coronation Cup and Grand Prix de Saint Cloud whilst the former has had his problems since being fourth in the Arc two years ago. After the Marois, the Listed race prize money might be leaving French shores as five of the nine declared have crossed The Channel to take part. The British bookies have the Gosden/Moore combination on unbeaten Ombudsman as favourite but it won an egg and spoon race at Leicester last time in a canter. War Rooms was a remote third in the Dante and has a visor applied, which puts me off him, and if the favourite does not turn out to be markedly better than his form the one I would fancy is Jane Chapple Hyam’s Sons And Lovers under Hollie Doyle. Irish raider Stromberg was out with the washing in the Hampton Court where Sons And Lovers was sixth. Involvement won a handicap in a quick time at HQ when last seen so it is not impossible that he could progress to Listed company here.
