Goodwood’s Sunday card features two pattern races but I think I will give the Prestige Fillies’ Stakes (2.25) a miss and hope that Sir Mark Prescott’s
Moon Target is good enough to deny Aidan O’Brien’s
Precise (rated 106P by Timeform); and
Jonquil is theoretically the best horse in the Celebration Mile (3.35) but has become expensive to follow, including last time at this track.
The Deauville Festival continues with a cracking card featuring four pattern races, two of them Group 1s.
Only five line up for the opening Prix Kergorlay (12.58 BST) but this provides the usual conundrum of French racing: how will the race be run? Neither of the two main protagonists have won a race this term. So is it Andre Fabre’s
Sevenna’s Knight or Christophe Ferland’s
Double Major today?
Double Major won it last year but his form has not been as good this term so I would be inclined to side with the Fabre colt, who had him behind when runner up in the Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier. Of course, it will end up being neither of them depending on how the sprint in the straight unfolds...
The Prix du Calvados (13.33) features seven, three of whom are British raiders. This should be a fascinating race as Princess Margaret winner
Fitzella (stepping up a furlong) takes on the Andre Fabre Godolphin filly
My Highness, who beat
Ceramic over course and distance last time. The problem here is that the British bookies have the two principals very short so I would not be having a bet either way, although my feeling is that the Fabre filly will win on her way to the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc Sunday.
The first of the Group 1 events, the Prix Morny (14:50), is almost certainly going to be exported as five of the six runners are not French and the home defence consists of outsider
Imperial Me Cen, last seen finishing fourth of five in a sub standard Prix Robert Papin. Something has to give as there are three unbeaten runners: Wesley Ward’s
Outfielder (one run, one win); Aidan O’Brien’s
Gstaad (two from two) and Karl Burke’s
Venetian Sun (three from three). Wesley Ward’s runners on this side of The Pond usually come via Royal Ascot but
Outfielder is a complete unknown having won at Churchill Downs.
Gstaad had
Coppull more than three lengths behind in the Coventry and his yard has won two of the last three runnings of this.
Coppull subsequently won the Richmond Stakes but it is hard to see him reversing the Ascot form.
Wise Approach was beaten over five in the Norfolk but subsequently won easily over six at Newbury and might be able to cause an upset. The filly
Venetian Sun won the Albany and followed up in the Duchess Of Cambridge where last week’s Lowther winner Royal Fixation was second. Will Fitzella boost the Albany form again in the Prix du Calvados?
Is the proximity of this Group 1 six furlong race the reason that the Gimcrack Stakes at York had such a mediocre field? Any of
Coppull,
Gstaad or
Wise Approach would have been a short-priced favourite on the Knavesmire, although the first two would have had a penalty. And
Venetian Sun would have been favourite for the Lowther, albeit with a penalty.
The second Group 1 is the Prix Jean Romanet (16.00) and there is a good chance one of the three foreign raiders could upset the locals. It is difficult to make a case for James Tate’s
Royal Dress as she has up to 10lb to find on official ratings. Gerald Mosse’s
Grand Stars was last seen chasing home Goliath in a Group 3 and has not won in four 2025 races. Francis-Henri Graffard’s
Quisisana has only raced five times in two seasons and the five year old will need to be much better than her recent Listed race win at Chantilly. Christopher Head’s
Start Of Day put in two mediocre efforts to start 2025 but was third in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild three weeks ago behind Fallen Angel and January, form that would give her a chance today returning to ten furlongs.
Survie has placed in both her races this term, most recently in June when third to Whirl in the Pretty Polly at The Curragh so she justifies her place. So that leaves the three “big guns”.
Bedtime Story has been tried at a variety of distances without success since winning the Debutante Stakes last year, so I cannot see her coming good after finishing second last in the farcical Nassau Stakes. She was second in the Prix de Diane just ahead of
Cankoura; however, Francis-Henri Graffard’s filly won the Prix de Psyche over course and distance next time, so the grey filly in the Aga Khan colours looks best of the home defence. After a poor Ebor meeting, what Charlie Appleby will want to see is
Cinderella’s Dream adding this to her two domestic pattern wins, most recently the Falmouth Stakes at HQ. She won the Belmont Oaks and the Saratoga Oaks at this trip last year so she will be hard to beat here, which is reflected in her cramped odds.
Maybe I should have a look at the Beverley card to see if I can find something at a backable price...
