A great day of racing at Deauville today and I can’t wait to be at the track next month.
In the opener, British raider Malrescia should no doubt be odds-on and will be tough to beat if running to her best from the front and enjoying this cut back in trip to five furlongs.
I can see the logic behind the well-named Wootton City being next in the betting, but Jerome Reynier’s juvenile star has a horrid 2kg penalty to lumber in this Listed contest for having won a similar event at Chantilly.
Exxtra has a few more miles on the clock that Wootton City and she get my each-way vote narrowly ahead of 20-1 Alvina. Exxtra ran 5th behind Belbek at Chantilly which gives her more guarantees than maiden winners such as Zudu Spirit and Sivana. She has worked well this week and should be thereabouts.
12.23pm Deauville – Exxtra 1pt each-way @ 12-1 (Sky Bet, Coral, Ladbrokes, LivescoreBet, VirginBet etc or 11-1 elsewhere)
Sticking with the home side, the Group Three sprint at 3.25pm looks a tight affair with the top four older horses in the betting separated by just 1kg in the ratings. Garrus could blow this apart on his best form but I’m minded to stick with the home team who are stabled locally and haven’t had to cross the Channel.
It’s likely that Gregory Benoist has selected favourite Fast Raaj given he also has a good partnership with Bouttemont, but I think the price discrepancy is too big. Christophe Soumillon is not a bad substitute and it’s Bouttemont is said to be in amazing form at home after a break. Trainer Yann Barberot is operating to an brilliant 16% this year and this improving sprinter should go very close.
Three-year-old Wings Of War could blow this apart with the age allowance but he is on a recovery mission after the Commonwealth Cup.
3.25pm Deauville – Bouttemont 1pt win @ 13/2 (Sky Bet, Coral, Ladbrokes, LivescoreBet, VirginBet etc or 6-1 elsewhere)