THE name Campanelle may have a very European feel to it, but the filly of that name is trained by Wesley Ward in the US. Fortunately, the global pandemic has not stopped Campanelle from being an honorary European, in that the unbeaten filly has made two of her three starts in this neck of the woods.

Her win in the Group 1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville last Sunday marginally bettered her win in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, though Sacred had done plenty for the form of the latter earlier in the week.

Campanelle made just about all over the 1,200 metres to beat Nando Parrado, a Coventry winner on his previous start, and Rhythm Master, with the July Stakes winner Tactical a bit disappointing in fifth.

This earns Campanelle a 114 rating, joint with Miss Amulet among juvenile fillies, though a word of caution needs to be sounded about the time, which was slower than the handicap which followed. There was an unexpected, and frankly difficult to explain, Group 1 win for the former handicapper Audarya (112 after sectionals) in the Darley Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville on Sunday, plus notable successes there for Tawkeel (unimpressive 108) in the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette, Thorin (110) in the Group 3 Prix Daphnis and Fev Rover (101, left on 104) in the Group 2 Prix du Calvados on Saturday, and for Call The Wind (114) in the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay and Ebaiyra (109) in the Group 2 Prix de Pomone on Sunday.

Pick of the Grade 1s in the US was the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, in which odds-on Maximum Security had only to run to 121 compared to his very best of 125 to prevail. Red Lark (108), Halladay (116) and Rushing Fall (114) were other big winners stateside.

The annoyingly named Verry Elleegant did not have to be at her 116 best to win the Winx (formerly Warwick) Stakes at Randwick in a blanket finish.