Deauville Sunday

3.25 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville (Group 2) (3yo+) 1m 4f 110y

Deauville’s month-long summer meeting draws to a close tomorrow with its usual, rather low-key, final weekend feature, the Group 2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville. This extended mile-and-a-half event has attracted a field of seven but does not include a single three-year-old - the age group responsible for half of its last eight winners.

It does at least have the first and second from last year, Ziyad and Soft Light, although the ground is likely to be softer than when they were separated by half a length 12 months ago.

Ziyad is bidding to continue a recent upturn in form for trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias, who has saddled five winners from his past 13 runners having earlier suffered a two-and-a-half month drought while his charges suffered from a virus.

It was in the middle of that fallow period that Ziyad somehow put up what was close to a career-best, when beaten in a three-way photo-finish for the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

That represents much better form than anything Soft Light has managed in his two 2020 starts, indeed Jean-Claude Rouget’s charge has finished behind another runner, Styledargent, on both those recent outings. But if this Authorized colt could repeat the level of performance that saw him finish sixth in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe he will be very difficult to beat.

There are two British challengers, both already winners at this level, one going up in distance, the other coming down.

Telecaster scored an easy Group 3 win at Longchamp in June but was a disappointing fourth at York last month and is far from sure to stay, while Red Verdon was about to run in a mile-and-seven-furlong contest here last Sunday only to be withdrawn after an incident in the stalls and may find this an insufficient test, especially under a 2lb penalty.

So there are plenty of question marks surrounding all of the principals. Provided the ground does not become too testing, Ziyad may prove good enough to defend his crown with the consistent Styledargent the most attracttive alternative.

SELECTION: ZIYAD

Next best: Styledargent

There are two supporting Group 3 races on tomorrow’s card, each boasting €56,000 in prize money.

The three-year-old fillies look set to take advantage of their weight-for-age allowance in the six-furlong Barriere Prix de Meautry and the supplemented Marieta, runner-up in last year’s Prix Marcel Boussac, may make this drop back to sprinting a successful one at the main expense of Alocasia.

Stunning Spirit had the misfortune of running into Skalleti in last year’s renewal of the Barriere Prix Quincey and has good prospects of going one better in this straight mile contest.

His toughest opponents will be We Ride The World, who three months ago put up one of the best handicap performances of the season when a clear-cut winner under a top-weight over this track and trip, and the strong-finishing German raider, Aviateur, who will be trying to give 4lbs to all of his five rivals.