Deauville Sunday

3.07 Arc Prix Maurice de Gheest (Group 1) 6f 110y

Co Laois trainer Kieran Cotter bids to open his Group 1 account, and give Ireland its first victory in the Prix Maurice de Gheest since Aidan O’Brien’s King Charlemagne won this six furlongs, 110yards event in 2001, when Matilda Picotte faces 15 opponents at Deauville on Sunday.

A four-year-old daughter of Sioux Nation, Matilda Picotte broke through with a pair of seven-furlong pattern race successes in England last autumn, but since finishing fifth from a poor draw in a big money contest in Saudi Arabia in February, she has not been seen since finishing a disappointing eighth in the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes over two months ago.

Fitness should not be an issue and, boosted by a middle draw, this front-runner should give a fine account of herself.

The July Cup/Maurice de Gheest double has only been secured three times since this race was upgraded to top level status in 1995 but Mill Stream, who landed the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket three weeks ago, rarely runs a bad race and can add his name to that roll of honour.

Trained in Newmarket by Jane Chapple-Hyam, this son of Gleneagles has got his head in front on both of his previous visits to this Normandy venue and should have no problem in staying this extra distance having secured all five of his previous career victories over six furlongs.

The pick of the five other British challengers could be Richard Hannon’s Shouldvebeenaring, who failed by just a nose to defeat Mill Stream in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes back in May and snapped an 11-race losing sequence when landing a six-furlong Group 3 at this track four weeks ago.

The Andrew Balding-trained Flora Of Bermuda has more on her plate here than when landing a Group 3 against her own sex at York last month, while the dual Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes hero Khaadem, from the Charlie Hills stable, seems to reserve his best form for Ascot, and Archie Watson’s Saint Lawrence has failed to make the top four in his seven appearances since finishing third in this race 12 months ago.

The classic generation is well represented, accounting for half of the field, including the 1-2-3 (Puchkine, Havana Cigar and Beauvatier) from last month’s Group 1 Prix Jean Prat and the 1-2-4 (Lazzat, Havana Cigar and Puchkine) from the Group 3 Prix Paul de Moussac.

Puchkine had everything go his way when an easy winner of the Jean Prat but a similar set-up is far from guaranteed here so the gelded Lazzat, who has won all four of his outings since making a successful career debut at Cagnes in January, could prove to be the best of the home team.

King Gold was a surprise winner of a much weaker renewal of this race 12 months ago and, at these weights, is not sure to confirm the form of his narrow defeat of Exxtra in a seven furlongs Group 3 at ParisLongchamp last month.

SELECTION: MILL STREAM Next Best: Matilda Picotte