Deauville Sunday

3.25 Larc Prix Maurice de Gheest (Group 1) (3yo+) 6f 110y

Tomorrow’s Group 1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest lost much of its interest and star quality when Aidan O’Brien’s Little Big Bear was withdrawn at the final declaration stage, along with the Charlie Hills-trained pair of Garrus and Khaadem.

The prospect of encountering seriously soft ground just three weeks after his July Cup flop is likely to have played a part in Little Big Bear’s non attendance, though to take him out just 24 hours after stumping up a sizeable supplementary entry fee adds to the disappointment of his absence.

With Khaadem gone too, a 10-runner field for this six-furlong 110 yard event is devoid of a single previous Group 1 winner.

The mantle of favouritism is likely to fall on Tim Easterby’s Art Power, and while Irish fans may be drawn towards the Dark Angel gelding after his pair of wide margin Group 2 triumphs at the Curragh (over five and six furlongs), there is something about that Co Kildare venue which seems to spark this six-year-old into life.

Tomorrow’s longer trip is far from ideal and who knows if the trip across The Channel will have the same galvanising effect on him as the ferry over the Irish Sea?

In-form sprinter

I prefer to side with one of the two Karl Burke runners, Spycatcher: an in-form sprinter on the up who is sure to relish underfoot conditions and should start at a more rewarding price.

Much improved since (like Art Power) being gelded over the winter, Spycatcher seemed to enjoy this track when posting a wide-margin Group 3 victory and will have no problem with this extra half-furlong.

Burke also saddles Cold Case, who did not do enough when third to Commanche Falls in Group 3 company last time to suggest that he is up to this level.

A second trainer with two runners is Nicolas Caullery, but though both Fort Payne and King Gold have recent Longchamp Group 3 seven-furlong victories to their names (the first two pattern wins of Caullery’s training career), it would be a surprise if either is able to handle this step up in class.

Of the remainder, the dual Group 2 scorer Sandrine has won on heavy and has tended to run well following a break, so could easily outrun her odds on her first appearance for over seven weeks.

Rohaan was a close fourth in this race 12 months ago but seems to have completely lost his way this season, while Saint Lawrence will face very different underfoot conditions than when he landed the Wokingham Handicap off a mark of 100 on his first run for Archie Watson at Royal Ascot; and the mudlark Brad The Brief has been way below his best in all three of his outings in the last 14 months.

SELECTION: SPYCATCHER

Next Best: Sandrine

Rest of the card

Elsewhere on the Deauville card, there could be further British success in a pair of listed sprints. The soft ground is perfect for the Adam West-trained Live In The Dream, who has not been seen since finishing third in the Group 2 Temple Stakes in May, in the five-furlong Prix du Cercle, while Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Millstream returns to stakes company in the six-furlong Prix Moonlight Cloud, where he may get the better of Valimi.

The only other pattern race on the card, the Group 3 €80,000 Prix Daphnis for three-year-old fillies over a round mile, looks set to remain in French hands thanks to the Andre Fabre-trained supplementary entry Colombier, who is unbeaten in two career starts and hails from the fine Juddmonte family of the triple Group 1 winner, Special Duty.