Continuous Heads Saturday Cast

With York's Ebor Festival drawing the elite performers next week, Saturday's action across Europe is lacking a championship contest but not intrigue as some progressive types put their reputations on the line at Deauville, Newbury and The Curragh. Perhaps the biggest name on the day is Ballydoyle's G1 St Leger hero Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G3 Royal Whip Stakes at the Kildare venue, looking to build on his comeback effort in a renewal of Royal Ascot's G2 Hardwicke Stakes that has taken on extra gravitas with the passing of the last few weeks.

Extra intrigue is provided by the G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville, where the G3 Princess Margaret Stakes winner Simmering (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) features among the seven fillies assembled for the seven-furlong contest. Moving up in trip following her Ascot exploits, Al Shaqab's acquisition is bred for the distance and trainer Ollie Sangster has no concerns on that score. “She saw out the stiff six of Ascot well and was doing her best work at the end, so I think this step up to seven furlongs is logical and Ryan [Moore] suggested that as well,” he said. “It looks a nice opportunity and hopefully it will be quick ground and we're looking forward to running her.”

France's leading hope is Denford Stud's unbeaten Fraise Des Bois (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}), who took the six-furlong Listed Criterium du Bequet by seven lengths at La Teste de Buch last month. Jean-Claude Rouget saddles the exciting prospect and the Stud's Richard Evans is keen to see how she fares against British competition. “Her last race was probably the most impressive when she won by seven lengths and she is a progressive filly now heading to a Group 2 and then after that we can see about some Group 1 entries, depending on how she does on Saturday,” he said. “The race on Saturday will tell us really where we are, I think, and the competition is going to be a lot stiffer obviously. If she can win or even run a good race then I would say she will probably go for a Group 1 in France or we have the Cheveley Park entry as well.”

Also at Deauville is the G2 Prix de Pomone, where the Wertheimers' TDN Rising Star Aventure (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) looks the class act, while Newbury's highlight is the seven-furlong G2 Hungerford Stakes. Juddmonte's half-brother to Frankel, Kikkuli (GB) (Kingman {GB}), looks to get back on track after his disappointing effort in the G1 Prix Jean Prat in a weak-looking renewal in a division currently very short on genuine top-level performers.