Deauville Sunday

2.50 Sumbe Prix Morny (Group 1) 6f

Aidan O’Brien’s Whistlejacket, making a swift reappearance following his second to Babouche in last Saturday’s Group 1 Pheonix Stakes, is the sole Irish representative in a field of nine for the Group 1 Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday. The Phoenix result added credence to the theory that fillies may hold the edge over their male counterparts among the best juveniles seen out so far this season, and the girls could again come out on top in the Morny.

Simon and Ed Crisford landed this prestigious event last season with Vandeek and have supplemented their Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes heroine, Arabian Dusk, in an attempt to repeat that feat. But Daylight, who beat another of tomorrow’s opponents, Polyvega, by two and a half lengths over this course and distance in the Group 3 Prix de Cabourg, is my idea of the best of the four fillies in the line-up and represents excellent value at the double-figure odds available in early betting shows.

Trained by Patrice Cottier and owned by Gousserie Racing, Daylight was caught out by her lack of experience when beaten into third by another of these rivals, Karl Burke’s Arabie, when favourite for the Group 3 Prix du Bois. The daughter of Earthlight turned things around with that brilliant Cabourg triumph and can gain revenge on the British raider, who subsequently carried off the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin.

The form of the Royal Ascot victories of the other two British challengers, Ollie Sangster’s Rashabar and the Burke-trained Shareholder, in the Coventry Stakes and Norfolk Stakes respectively, has not been working out particularly well, so they make little appeal at considerably shorter prices. Whistlejacket was only fourth in the Norfolk before grabbing Group 2 glory in the July Stakes.

SELECTION: Daylight

Next best: Arabie

1.33 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet (Group 1) 1m 2f

Joseph O’Brien has pulled off a masterstroke of race planning in tomorrow’s other Group 1, the Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet, as he saddles two of only five runners in the shape of American Sonja and Maxux.

With prize money down to fifth, the pair are guaranteed to cover their travel expenses and, although the defending champion and four-time Group 1 winner Mqse de Sevigne will be incredibly hard to beat, the other two combatants, Blue Rose Cen and Left Sea, have been way off their best of late, so both O’Brien charges have a realistic chance of gaining prized Group 1-placed blacktype to enhance their broodmare values.

SELECTION: Mqse de Sevigne

Next best: American Sonja

Saturday’s card

Joseph also saddles two promising two-year-olds, Apples And Bananas and Cap Saint Martin, in the one-mile €130,000 Listed contest that kicks off Saturday’s Deauville card, while, again on Saturday, Jessica Harrington pits her easy Leopardstown maiden winner, Va Va Vroom, against six rivals in the Group 2 seven furlong Prix du Calvados.