Ahead of the following day's French Guineas', Deauville offers a tantalising warm-up on Sunday when it hosts the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly and G2 Prix du Gros-Chene. In the former contest, kept to its traditional time slot but re-routed to Normandy, the Wertheimers' Ziyad (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) returns to the scene of his career-best success in last year's G2 Grand Prix de Deauville. Runner-up in this last 12 months ago as well as the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the homebred was waylaid on his trip to Dubai for World Cup night having taken the Prix Darshaan conditions event over 9 1/2 furlongs on Chantilly's Polytrack Mar. 3. He encounters Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani's French King (GB) (French Fifteen {Fr}), who is unbeaten in all bar one of his last six starts with that blip coming when ninth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October. Fresh from regaining his crown in Doha's H.H The Amir Trophy on Feb. 22, the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin scorer has to concede two pounds to his chief rival courtesy of that top-level success.
In the Gros-Chene, Guy Pariente's May 11 G3 Prix de Saint-Georges winner Batwan (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) bids to follow up his success in that ParisLongchamp sprint and uphold a half-length advantage over Gold Vibe (Ire) (Dream Ahead). The 2018 winner Finsbury Square (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) is back in action, while earlier on the card 'TDN Rising Star' Ocean Atlantique (American Pharoah) takes in the 10-furlong Listed Prix de Suresnes following his comeback second to Pao Alto (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix la Force on May 14. At Hoppegarten, the G2 Gestut Rottgen Diana-Trial sees Stefan Hahne's Flamingo Girl (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) bid to back up the impression she made when winning the Listed Henkel-Stutenpreis at Dusseldorf May 16.
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