Deauville’s August meeting kick starts this weekend with a gourmet selection of group racing and competitive handicaps run across the weekend’s cards.
Six runners head to post for the €180,000 Group One Prix de Rothchild on Sunday and it is here we find my NAP of the day, a horse that regular readers will be familiar with.
I have also picked out a few interesting horses to follow across the card and a small trixie bet on them could pay dividends.
Read: Paul Jacobs has a cracking Lucky 15 for Sunday’s Racing
14:50 Deauville – Watch Me (NAP)
WATCH ME is the attraction of the day and a filly that I am extremely fond of having myself worked for her trainer Francis Henri Graffard a few seasons ago. She made her seasonal debut a successful one when bolting up in a Listed race over this course and distance three weeks ago (she was also my NAP the same day).
Already a Group One winner (Coronation Stakes Royal Ascot 2019), Watch Me heads back to the top-level here and although favourite, she will have to be at her very best as she takes on some talented three-year-old’s here.
The mile trip is ideal for the strong travelling filly and drawn up against the rail in stall one could prove to be a huge advantage. The official going of Good is perfect for Graffard’s star mare and it is likely that her jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot will leave her stride along closer to the head of the field than usual, considering there are only six runners.
A negative point against Watch Me could be the fact that she will be giving away 3.5 kilos to some rapidly improving three-year-old fillies – including the Charlie Appleby trained Summer Romance who was so impressive when landing a group three at Epsom on Derby day.
If Watch Me turns up at Deauville in as her usual ‘punchy’ self I believe she will be incredibly tough and could go even go on to be a better four-year-old this season.
Read: Brendan Duke’s 4 best bets for Galway on Sunday
13:35 Deauville – Prince Lancelot (Next Best)
A Group two race for the two-year-old’s here, and one that often throws up a champion or two (it was taken by Earthlight in 2019). The Fabrice Chappet-trained PRINCE LANCELOT still has a long way to go to reach the dizzy heights of Earthlight, but has started his racing career in the most promising of ways.
The Sir Prancealot colt made all the running when winning on debut at Saint-Cloud last month and showed definite signs of class while also being green enough. He could be the dark horse of the field (although less experienced) and allowing for natural improvement from his debut, he simply cannot be looked over.
The Chappet yard has been in sizzling form with their juveniles this season and this race will have been the target since that debut win. The 6-furlong trip looks perfect for the colt, but he does face some stiff competition – with the likes of the unbeaten Cairn Gorm making the journey across from the UK for trainer Mick Channon.
Prince Lancelot has always been held in high esteem by both his mentor Chappet and jockey Stephane Pasquier and it would be no surprise to see the colt succeed here before going onto something like the Prix Morny later on in the season.
16:35 Deauville – Black Fever (Each-Way)
With Deauville-based trainer Jean-Claude Rouget in excellent form at the moment it should prove profitable to follow BLACK FEVER in the valuable three-year-old handicap.
An impressive winner last-time-out at Clairefontaine this well-bred daughter of Invincible Spirit is a winner on two of her six starts, but has been mixing it at Listed level also.
The 1,800m trip may stretch Black Fever’s stamina to the limit, but her strong running style coupled with Rouget’s fine current form should help out here in what is an ultra-competitive race.
She will need to break well from stall one and may not get her own way up front, but if all goes to plan I can’t see Black Fever finishing outside the top three and we may well see her at Listed level again during the season.
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Deauville tips summary:
13:35 Deauville – Prince Lancelot (Next Best)
14:50 Deauville – Watch Me (NAP)
16:35 Deauville – Black Fever (Each-Way)
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