There is Group 1 action at Deauville on Sunday in the Prix Jean Prat while there is also plenty of British interest on the card. Keith Melrose picks out the best chances of an away winner.
| What: | Horse Racing |
| Where: | Deauville, France |
| When: | Sunday 10th July, 12.23-5.40 |
| How to watch: | Racing TV and bet365's Sports Live Streaming platform |
2.50 Deauville
Lusail @ 4/1
1pt win
3.25 Deauville
Garrus @ 1/1
1pt win
4.00 Deauville
Harry Three @ 1/1
1pt win
Palace the key to the Jean Prat once more
Since the Prix Jean Prat was reduced in distance to 7f in 2019, it has been won twice by a beaten runner in the St James's Palace and once by one that ran in the Commonwealth Cup. Lusail had both of those options before Royal Ascot. He ran in the St James's Palace and went down by a head to 2000 Guineas winner Coroebus.
That appeared to cement his credentials at a mile, but he continues to leave the impression that he will be just as comfortable over a little shorter. The Jean Prat now offers that option and it looks a sound opportunity for him to land a first Group 1 win.
Lusail has long been a top-quality horse. He won both the July Stakes and Gimcrack as a juvenile and on his seasonal reappearance lost out only to Perfect Power in the Greenham. He was unlucky in running in the 2000 Guineas, although he would not have won even with a clear run, before his St James's Palace second.
This will not be an easy task, as he faces the winners of both the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches - the French equivalents of the 2000 and 1000 Guineas. Both have to recover from modest runs since, although Modern Games was a clear non-stayer behind Vadeni in the Prix du Jockey Club. Lusail comes here on an upward curve and should be able to hold off both.
Moore can be the man
The following Prix de Ris-Orangis is a Group 3 over 6f. It is exactly the sort of level at which Garrus finds himself among the favourites and his form this season is not so poor as bare results would suggest.
He was only just touched off in this grade at Newmarket in April and on that form he is the horse to beat here. He must explain away two substandard runs since, but for the first he was caught away from the action at York and similar comments apply to his run in the Platinum Jubilee.
But for being in the middle of the track and duly failing to keep a true line, Garrus might have been second on his side and that sort of form puts him right in the mix here.
The draw might have been kinder here, too, as he will be quite a way off the rail in stall nine, but Ryan Moore is an experienced rider here and Garrus is not a front runner so the main concern will be picking a way through.
Three is the magic number
The 'Charity Sprint' at York, known currently as the Pavers Foundation Catherine Memorial Sprint, is always strong form and is already proving so this year - most recently, the fourth and sixth finished first and second in another hot handicap at the July meeting.
Harry Three was a convincing winner at York, showing form that puts him up at Listed class already, and he is out to confirm it in this Prix Kristena.
If anything, Harry Three should be aiming higher on his next start after York but trainer Clive Cox has given him a Sprint Cup entry at Haydock in September and looks like building this horse up slowly to a top-level race.
His competition here does not look any more than average for the grade. A handful have shown themselves to be competitive at Listed/Group 3 level, but on form Harry Angel theoretically has around half a stone to play with and a rapidly progressive profile to boot. Expect tightened-up quotes for Group 1s if he wins this as his trajectory would suggest.
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