10 races at Deauville today featuring the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, but our bet on the card is in the three-year-old Listed sprint, with Prince Lancelot a nice price to bounce back to form for Fabrice Chappet.
He may not have beaten the strongest field when winning over course and distance in Listed company last October, but I liked the way he quickened on the very soft ground that day and the rain in Deauville yesterday, which has seen the ground changed to ‘very soft’, is definitely a positive for his chances.
He had a horror trip in the 7f Group 3 Prix Djebel here on his seasonal return, but ran well to finish third, before then stepping up to a mile in the French Guineas. By Sir Prancealot and out of a Moss Vale mare, he was always unlikely to get the trip, let alone have the class to be very competitive at the top level.
On the face of it, he was a little disappointing dropped back in trip and in this grade at Chantilly when last seen. However, the yard were going through a very quiet spell at the time, and he was dropped in last in a race in which the front four were prominent throughout.
He has shown he can go well fresh, both when winning on debut last year and when third in the Djebel in April, his yard is in fine form now (eight wins and 12 places from 28 runners in the past three weeks), he has been in the frame on all three starts here and has ground conditions to suit.
3.25pm Deauville – 1pt win, 0.5pt place Prince Lancelot @ 12-1 (Paddy Power, Betfair, 10-1 elsewhere)
