Desmond Stoneham

DEAUVILLE - SATURDAY

1.00 Prix de Lieurey (Group 3) 3yo fillies 1m

The English raider Excilly (Richard Kingscote) looks to have an each-way chance. The André Fabre-trained Alea Iacta is back to her best form and has to be involved. As a juvenile, she won the Group 3 Prix Thomas Bryon by six lengths on soft ground. The unbeaten Moonlight In Paris tackles a group race for the first time. La Berma ran second in the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham and ahead of Night Of Light who might reverse the positions. Maimara has a recent listed success. Tom Dascombe saddled Excilly to win a similar event at Carlisle.

Selection: ALEA IACTA

Next best: Night Of Light

1.30 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (Group 2) 3yo 1m 2f

André Fabre appears to hold all the aces but it would be unwise to underestimate the chance of the Aga Khan’s Dariyan. Brian Meehan will saddle Faithful Creek (Maxime Guyon) but this colt only won a maiden over a year ago at Epsom. Fabre fields his Prix du Jockey Club winner New Bay and the highly talented Ampere. From an impossible draw in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, New Bay still managed second place and he came with a late run in the Jockey Club to collar Highland Reel who has since won the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. Ampere was not extended unduly to win the Group 2 Prix Hocquart and then ran two lengths second to Erupt in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris. Erupt had previously taken the Prix du Lys Longines and was clear of Dariyan back in fourth place over a trip longer than his best. Alain de Royer-Dupré brought Dariyan back to 10 furlongs in the Prix Eugene Adam and the colt won handsomely ahead of War Dispatch who had been third in the Jockey Club.

Selection: NEW BAY

Next best: Dariyan

2.40 Prix Gontaut-Biron (Group 3) 4yo+ 1m 2f

Mark Johnston sends the much-raced Fire Fighting (Richard Kingscote) and the gelding will be performing for the 17th time this season. André Fabre could win again with either Elliptique or Fractional who is likely to start favourite. The former dominated the final stages of the Group 3 Grand Prix de Vichy. Free Port Lux was fifth and well beaten. Fractional has better form. He was awarded last October’s Prix Dollar after Cirrus Des Aigles was demoted but well behind the same horse in the Prix Ganay. Since, Fractional has landed the Group 3 Prix Messidor at Maisons-Laffitte easily. The improving former handicapper Bello Matteo took La Coupe at Longchamp ahead of Elliptique and Kerosin.

Selection: FRACTIONAL

Next best: Bello Matteo

DEAUVILLE SUNDAY

2.40 Prix Minerve (Group 3) 3yo fillies 1m 41/2f

The field includes the John Gosden-trained Entertainment (William Buick) and Encore l’Amour (Harry Bentley) from the David Simcock’s stable. André Fabre fields the record-breaking yearling Al Naamah, a pacemaker named Shahah and Ame Bleue. The key could be the Listed Prix de Thiberville at Longchamp in July. It went to the Alain de Royer-Dupré-trained Candarliya from Al Naamah (conceded 21/2lb) with Ame Bleue just a neck away third. Candarliya was landing a hat-trick and improves with every outing. Entertainment took fourth place in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot. Encore l’Amour finished fourth in the Group 3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville last October and she has been listed-placed since. Lady Of Kyushu was a listed winner and Slatina has won her last four races. Yaazy was a good third in the Group 2 Prix de Malleret.

Selection: CANDARLIYA

Next best: Al Naamah

3.10 Prix de Haras du Fresnay-Le-Buffard-Jacques Le Marois (Group 1) 3yo+ colts and fillies 1m

A fascinating race where André Fabre has added the relatively unknown Vadamos. Well regarded, the Monsun four-year-old has been entered in races like the Arc, the Champion Stakes, the QEII and the Cox Plate. Fabre also trains the likely favourite Territories and the course and distance winner, Esoterique. Over from England come the Richard Hannon pair Toormore (James Doyle) and Estidhkaar (Paul Hanagan), Lightning Spear (Oisin Murphy) from the Olly Stevens stable and Roger Varian’s Belardo (William Buick).

Territories ran second in the Qipco 2000 Guineas and then was a cosy winner of the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat. Esoterique (prefers good ground) won the Prix Rothschild here a year ago and was runner-up to Solow in the Queen Anne Stakes before her second to Muhaarar in the Prix Maurice de Gheest just seven days ago. Vadamos is an enigma. He won a listed contest at Vichy for Francois Rohaut last year and only joined Fabre at the end of the season. The colt won a conditions race for his new trainer in July. Last year, Jonathan Pease trained Karakontie to win the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and finished the year by taking the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita. A foot problem has kept him off the track until now and the colt worked extremely well at Chantilly last Monday. Toormore won the Qatar Lennox Stakes from Dutch Connection who had previously been beaten by Territories in the Jean Prat. He was well behind Esoterique in the Queen Anne. Lightning Spear totted up four victoires before running second in the Summer Mile at Ascot. Estidhkaar won the Champagne Stakes at two. He was beaten a neck by Muhaarar in the Greenham and has not been out since finishing 14th in the 2000 Guineas. Belardo has still to recapture his best form.

Seletion: TERRITORIES

Next best: Karakontie