By Tom Frary
Against the backdrop of the news that Maisons-Laffitte could be on the way back, it is up to Deauville to continue to stage the two key seven-furlong trials that used to be the preserve of that Parisian venue and help light the way to the upcoming mile Classics on Thursday. In the G3 Prix Djebel, the colts who could be either 2000 Guineas or Poule d'Essai des Poulains-bound include the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) with Andre Fabre set to weigh up the correct target. Also successful over six furlongs in Chantilly's G3 Prix du Bois in June, Nurlan Bizakov's homebred would be one of the faster types taking part in either Classic but he does have Sangarius (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in his pedigree.
Has He Reached His Limit?
Third and beaten two necks in the Lagardere, TDN Rising Star Breizh Sky (Fr) (Pedro The Great) is back for another tilt at Belbek and add to his prior black-type win in the Listed Prix Roland de Chambure over this trip on the round course here in July. Whether he can build on a solid juvenile campaign and progress at three or whether he has already hit his ceiling is the question and both he and White Birch Farm's G3 Prix des Chenes-winning homebred Kubrick (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) have to put unplaced efforts behind them in Saint-Cloud's G1 Criterium International.
An Imprudence To Savour…
Seventy minutes after the Djebel, the likely 1000 Guineas and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches protagonists get their opportunity to shine in a numerically stronger prep which is probably also deeper in terms of competition and quality. Despite there being a total of seven listed or group winners in the line-up headed by Mohamed Saeed Al Shahi's Wed (Fr) (Profitable {Ire}), who captured the G2 Prix du Calvados over this course and distance in August, the presence of Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Beginnings (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and Godolphin's Polytrack course winner Quickstep (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) make it a fascinating affair. Also in the mix is Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois's impressive Chantilly conditions scorer Sauterne (Fr) (Kingman {GB}), whose dam is a half to Stacelita (Fr) (Monsun {Ger})
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