Deauville Sunday

2.50 Sumbe Prix Morny (Group 1) (2yo Colts & Fillies) 6f

A hectic week of Group 1 action will end with a bang at Deauville tomorrow when two unbeaten champions in waiting, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt Gstaad and Karl Burke’s filly Venetian Sun, cross swords in a red hot renewal of France’s top summer juvenile race, the Sumbe Prix Morny.

A seven-runner field has strength in depth too, as it boasts three other impressive last time out winners. The only disappointing aspect of the race is the lack of a credible domestic challenge, highlighting just how far down the priorities list readying fast early two-year-olds has fallen in the mindsets of French trainers.

They have successfully defended this prestigious prize on a measly two occasions in the last 20 years and this time around have just one sub-standard representative in the line-up in the shape of Imperial Me Cen, who finished a well beaten fourth of five in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin on his most recent appearance.

Gstaad was not even the Ballydoyle first string when he made his debut at Navan in May, so he prompted a few furrowed brows from members of Team Coolmore when he beat their much better fancied True Love by three quarters of a length. That form looks truly exceptional now, as True Love went on to Royal Ascot glory prior to a five-length Group 2 triumph in the Railway Stakes, while the distant third home, Havana Anna, has since enjoyed easy listed success. Gstaad himself backed it up with a dominant display in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he passed the winning post three lengths ahead of a huge field.

He was then meant to take on True Love for a second time in the Phoenix Stakes, only to be withdrawn after declaration having failed to eat up his feed.

The form of Venetian Sun is also gold plated, athough maybe not to quite the same extent as Gstaad’s. After an easy maiden victory, she put a length and a half between herself and her 16 rivals in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot before following up in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, a performance which looks better after the narrow runner-up, Royal Fixation, landed Thursday’s Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York.

Gstaad may just prove to be too strong for her here, but it is likely to be a close battle between the pair.

If there is another contender capable of giving the big two a fright, it will probably be Outfielder, whose American trainer Wesley Ward has already carried the Morny trophy back home across the Atlantic with him on three occasions. Outfielder has had an unconventional preparation, having not recovered quickly enough from his debut win in time to make one of his handler’s traditional Royal Ascot raids, and is unraced since May. His recent track workouts have been so good, however, that Ward believes he can overcome his inexperience and take this massive step up in class in his stride.

The field is completed by Clive Cox’s Group 2 Richmond Stakes victor Coppull, who has over three lengths to find with Gstaad on the Coventry form, and, sporting the royal blue of Godolphin, last month’s four-length Ascot listed winner Wise Approach.

SELECTION: Gstaad

Next best: Venetian Sun

4.00 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet (Group 1) (4yo+ Fillies & Mares) 1m 2f.

Coolmore and Godolphin go head-to-head again 70 minutes later when the Charlie Appleby-trained Cinderella’s Dream bids to build on her recent Group 1 Falmouth Stakes success when she takes on seven fillies including O’Brien’s Prix de Diane second, Bedtime Story, in the Group 1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet.

Cinderella’s Dream is a highly consistent type who should prove hard to beat, but it may be worth taking a chance by opposing her with Francis Graffard’s Le Havre five-year-old Quisisana, who has an excellent five-from-seven career record and may only now be reaching her peak.

SELECTION: Quisisana

Next best: Cinderella’s Dream

Earlier on the card, British challengers make up half of the field as eight juvenile fillies go to post for the €119,000 Group 2 Sumbe Prix du Calvados over seven furlongs.

Already victorious in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes, the Hugo Palmer-trained Fitzella may prove best of the visiting quartet but might find one of the locals too strong for her in My Highness, a well-bred daughter of Ghaiyyath who hails from the in-form Andre Fabre stable.