Deauville Sunday

3.07 Haras D’Etreham Prix Jean Prat (Group 1) 7f (Straight)

THE Haras d’Etreham Prix Jean Prat for three-year-olds only has traditionally taken less winning than many other European Group 1 races, both before and after it was reduced in distance to seven furlongs in 2019.

This year’s race will sure prove no exception, and it is indicative of the open-looking nature of tomorrow’s 12-runner field that Jean-Claude Rouget has been tempted to stump up an expensive supplementary entry fee for Puchkine, a Starspangledbanner colt who has been well beaten in each of his last two starts, including when behind two of these opponents, Havana Cigar and Sajir, in a Group 3 at ParisLongchamp last month.

The solitary Irish challenger is Willie McCreery’s Night Of Thunder filly Vespertilio. She renews rivalry with two British raiders, the Brian Meehan-trained Kathmandu and Romantic Style, from the Charlie Appleby stable, who finished one place in front and one place behind her respectively when the trio chased home Rouhiya in a tight finish to the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.

Vespertilio went on to contest the Irish 1000 Guineas, where the stiffer mile at the Curragh probably contributed to her weakening late into ninth place in a race in which she suffered interference on two different occasions.

This trip could prove more suitable but, the subsequent Prix de Diane triumph of sixth-placed Sparkling Plenty aside, the form of the Pouliches has not really worked out and, given that she had the widest draw that day, my expectation is that Romantic Style will fare best of the re-opposing fillies.

British representatives

Kikkuli, Devil’s Point and Iberian are the other British representatives in the line-up and some sort of case can be made for all three of them.

Kikkuli is the one that it is easiest to be positive about following the career best effort that Harry Charlton’s charge posted when losing out by an agonisingly narrow margin to Haatem in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A Group 1 success here would make this Kingman half-brother to Frankel a mighty stallion prospect, and evidence that his owner-breeders, Juddmonte Farms, were keen to maximise that possibility was provided when they supplemented the Andre Fabre-trained Zandy on Thursday in order to ensure that the Jean Prat is run at a strong gallop.

In a season of near-misses, trainer David Menuisier went close in yet another top three-year-old race when Sunway finished second in last weekend’s Irish Derby, and his runner here Devil’s Point, has actually won a classic this term, landing a narrow triumph in the Group 2 German 2000 Guineas. This will be tougher and Menuisier would surely be happy with a place berth on this occasion.

From the Charlie Hills yard and owned and bred by Ballylinch Stud, Iberian, has disappointed badly in just two starts since he beat Sunway and Rosallion in a Group 2 last September. Now returning from a two-month break, the suspicion remains that he can eventually make an impact at this level.

My preference, however, is for another son of the Ballylinch stallion Lope De Vega. Trained by Yann Barberot, Beauvatier was my selection when he ran no kind of race in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, but he was beaten only once during a fine two-year-old campaign and can be given a second chance here.

Pascal Bary’s Group 3 six-furlong winner Monteille is another member of the home team worthy of consideration, but the pick of his form has all come on soft ground so Havana Cigar could, behind Beauvatier, prove to be the next best of the local contingent.

SELECTION: Beauvatier Next Best: Kikkuli