Sumbe Prix Morny (Group 1)

LAST Sunday’s Group 1 Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville looked like an above average renewal, so Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore team have every reason to be delighted with its outcome.

Not only did their No Nay Never colt Whistlejacket emulate his brother, Little Big Bear, by landing a top level juvenile contest, he also justified their bold decision to turn him out again just eight days after a fine run, but a defeat at the hands of Babouche, in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes.

O’Brien had won this six-furlong showpiece four times before, though only once in the previous 22 years, a surprisingly low strike rate for a man who has dominated Europe’s best juvenile events for almost three decades.

Given that Whistlejacket has been beaten in half of his six career appearances, it is hard to rate him among the best Ballydoyle youngsters, but his toughness is not in question, already a place at stud is assured, and, should he surpass the achievements of his sibling and secure a second Group 1 prize, he will at least have begun to live up to a lofty home reputation that has seen him start favourite every single time that he has visited a racecourse.

Perfectly

Everything panned out perfectly for him on Sunday, contrary to in the Phoenix when he was pestered in front by Arizona Blaze. From a low draw, he grabbed the fence and, having first seen off the prominently ridden Estepona and then the stalker, Arabie, he had a big enough lead to turn back the late thrust of Rashabar by three-quarters of a length with Daylight the same distance back in third.

Although some onlookers thought that Daylight was a shade unlucky after momentarily having been denied a clear passage, my view is that Rashabar was the more unfortunate of the pair, racing out in the centre of the course while all the action was up the stands’ side.

O’Brien said: “Running in both races is an incredibly tough assignment but Whistlejacket has a superb temperament, he’s unbelievably chilled, and it was the decision of the boss [John Magnier] to run him again.”

“He’s a five and six furlong horse, a Middle Park type, and because he’s so quick we might think about the Breeders’ Cup [Juvenile Turf Sprint].”

Brian Meehan, trainer of the runner-up, was also looking forward to a visit to Del Mar in November for the Breeders’ Cup, though Rashabar’s target there is more likely to be the Juvenile Turf.

“Without disrespecting the winner, if Rashabar had been drawn down on the rail I think he’d have won,” Meehan reasoned. “I rate him higher than either of my two Morny winners. It was one of the toughest Mornys that I can remember.”

Pauline Chehboub, speaking on behalf of owners Gousserie Racing about Daylight, said: “I think that she has proved herself Europe’s top two-year-old sprint filly and we will try to prove that in the Cheveley Park Stakes.”

Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet (Group 1)

JOSEPH O’Brien was almost as happy as his father despite not winning the other Group 1 race on the card, the mile and two furlongs Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet for older fillies.

What O’Brien junior’s two runners, American Sonja and Maxux, did achieve was a pair of Group 1 places that should mean plenty for their future breeding careers.

Though they got to within a head and a short-neck of the now five-time Group 1 heroine Mqse De Sevigne, there can be little doubt that the Andre Fabre-trained winner always had the two Irish hopes covered, as she never prevails by big margins and was doing very little once she hit the front passing the furlong pole.

Winning trainer Andre Fabre was certainly of that opinion, saying: “She never seems to win by more than a head, we’re pretty used to that by now, she’s a great mare.”

A half-sister to the quadruple mile and a half Group 1 winner, Meandre, she will now see if she too can stay that trip, with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe her ultimate goal.

Having made the running before dropping back to third, American Sonja kept on doughtily to regain the runner-up spot while the patiently-ridden Maxux found extra in the last half-furlong to edge into third, getting past Blue Rose Cen (who looks a shadow of her former self) right on the line.

Joseph said: “I’m delighted for both of them to achieve Group 1 places - they ran their hearts out.”

DOUBLE Major and Friendly Soul completed a clean sweep for favourites in Sunday’s pattern events.

Double Major lived up to his starting price of 1/2 with a seven-length demolition of four overmatched rivals in the Group 2 Sumbe Prix Kergorlay, while Friendly Soul took her lifetime record to four wins from five with a pillar-to-post length success in a Group 2 Sumbe Prix Alec Head in which Jessica Harrington’s Sea The Boss was beaten by just over four lengths into fourth.

Trained by Christophe Ferland, Double Major has taken time to hit peak form but, now that he has, will be a big player in both the Prix du Cadran and Prix Royal-Oak, while Friendly Soul is also set to tackle a ParisLongchamp Group 1, in her case the Prix de l’Opéra, according to trainer John Gosden.

“Friendly Soul doesn’t need to lead, but she doesn’t like to be restrained, which is how we got her beaten in the Musidora Stakes,” Gosden said. “The ground was a bit tacky for her today – I hope it’s quicker in the Opera.”

Fillies’ Group 2

Saturday’s Deauville card hosted two further Group 2s, the seven-furlong Prix du Calvados for two-year-old fillies, and the mile, four furlongs and 110 yards Prix de Pomone for fillies and mares.

The Calvados witnessed a fine three-length triumph from Simmering, to give her British handler, Ollie Sangster, his biggest win to date, and this daughter of Too Darn Hot has the Breeders’ Cup as her end-of-season goal.

Aventure, the first leg of a weekend Group 2 double for Ferland, had not done much work since returning from a holiday, so the Prix de Diane fourth did well to hold off the back-to-form Irish raider Trevaunance by a short-neck. Trained by Harrington, Trevaunance posted her best performance since landing this very race in 2022.

There was an Irish success at the start of the day, however, when Joseph O’Brien’s Wootton Bassett juvenile colt Apples And Bananas pouched the €65,000 first prize on offer in the mile listed affair.