Sunday is a big day for the Godolphin operation, with their two star Shamardal juveniles of 2019 Pinatubo (Ire) and Earthlight (Ire) back in action at Deauville. Neither has followed the script so far, with the former suffering two reversals and Earthlight out so far through injury. Pinatubo is back over seven furlongs in the feature G1 Qatar Prix Jean Prat, having possibly been stretched on his two starts at a mile when third in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket June 6 and runner-up in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot a fortnight later. “He worked well last weekend and after Ascot we were happy with him. He had a good blow midweek and he looks in good order,” Charlie Appleby said of the standard-setter on Saturday. “The ground is on the easy side there, but he has run well on quick ground and soft ground and I won't be using that as an excuse going over there.”
Earthlight, who reappears in the six-furlong Listed Qatar Prix Kistena, can be seen in an even better light having beaten Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) in Newmarket's
G1 Middle Park S. in September. He had that rival back in third when taking the G1 Prix Morny here in August and remains one of his generation's leaders. “Earthlight is in excellent form according to his trainer,” Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard commented. “He came through a very pleasing racecourse gallop well and it appears to have put him back in the zone both mentally and physically. In saying that, he is a laid-back horse with a stocky frame who hasn't run for 10 months. This race is the perfect spot for him to start off his season.”
If Pinatubo fails to fire, the Prix Jean Prat is up for grabs and Shadwell's Molatham (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) proved he was a colt on the up with his success in the G3 Jersey S. over this trip at Royal Ascot June 18. Angus Gold, racing manager to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, said, “He's a horse we're just getting to know–what we don't know is what his optimum trip is going to be. Seven furlongs is well within his capabilities. We're thinking possibly the [G1 Prix] Maurice de Gheest over six and a half furlongs in August at Deauville if he seems to have the speed. We'll just see on Sunday if he has the speed to win a group one over a shorter trip or do we need to go up to a mile with him.”
Ryan Moore has opted for last year's G1 Dewhurst S. runner-up Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) over the other Ballydoyle runner Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) despite two below-par efforts this term. Andre Fabre drops both Alson (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) and Tropbeau (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) back from a mile following their efforts in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Pouliches respectively. Alson was third in his June 1 Classic here and it may be that Corinna Baronin Von Ullmann's free-going homebred is more comfortable at this distance over which he registered a 20-length defeat of his sole rival Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Criterium International at ParisLongchamp in October.
Tropbeau beat the subsequent Pouliches heroine Dream and Do (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G3 Prix de la Grotte over a mile at ParisLongchamp May 11, but Lady Bamford's G3 Prix Six Perfections and G2 Prix du Calvados winner was disappointing when only fourth in the main event. Freshened up since, she has the sex allowance taking on the colts while TDN Rising Star Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is another to have benefitted from a break having been sixth in the 2000 Guineas.
“His work has been good since the Guineas and it is the last really big chance he has to run against his own age group at this level,” trainer Ralph Beckett explained. “In terms of experience, he looked like a boy against men in the 2000 Guineas, but he had a stop-start prep going to the race. He had blip in January and one at the start of April, so we didn't have proper run at the Guineas and we have had a proper run since. Coming back in trip doesn't worry me, as he has got plenty of boot but he will need it on Sunday.”
In Hamburg's G1 IDEE 151st Deutsches Derby, all eyes will be on Stall Wasserfreunde's Wonderful Moon (Ger) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) as he bids to emulate his sire's success in this Classic. He holds Dr. Christoph Berglar's Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) on the form of his successes in the May 8 G3 Cologne Classic and the G2 Union-Rennen also at Cologne June 14 and it could be that he has yet to reach a peak in 2020. His 12-length win in Krefeld's G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen in November is still the standard and this is his acid test. Karin Brieskorn and Stall Salzburg's impressive Listed Brummerhof-Derby Trial winner Kellahen (Ger) (Wiesenpfad {Fr}) warrants respect, such was the manner of his performance in that 11-furlong prep at Hanover June 28, while another live contender should Wonderful Moon flop is his stablemate Dicaprio (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}). Christoph Holschbach and Thomas Krauth's half-brother to last year's Derby runner-up Django Freeman (Ger) (Campanologist) looked seven-length winner of Munich's 11-furlong Listed Derby Trial June 15.
Also at Hamburg, the G3 Sparkasse Holstein-Cup sees Stall Raffelberg's June 21 G2 German 1000 Guineas heroine Lancade (GB) (Areion {Ger}) take on the older fillies and mares. The form of her Dusseldorf Classic success was boosted this week by Rose of Kildare (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and she will pose a threat to Godolphin's June 15 Listed Prix Urban Sea winner Half Light (Ire) (Shamardal) and Team Valor's June 7 Listed Pool & The Gang Cup scorer Go Rose (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}).
Back at Deauville, there is further Godolphin interest in the six-furlong G3 Qatar Prix de Ris-Orangis with Royal Crusade (GB) (Shamardal) looking to build on a highly encouraging return sixth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 19. Runner-up in the G2 Champagne S. over a furlong further at Doncaster in September, the well-regarded homebred meets the older sprinters including the impressive May 31 G2 Prix du Gros-Chene scorer Tour To Paris (Fr) (Fuisse {Fr}). “We were pleased with Royal Crusade's effort in the Commonwealth Cup and he looks to have come forward physically for his first run of the year,” Charlie Appleby said. “He is taking on older opposition but we are hopeful that he can become one of our nice sprinters for the future.”
Deauville's fixture also sees Alexander Tamagni-Bodmer & Regula Vannod's 2019 G1 Coronation S. heroine Watch Me (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) make her seasonal bow in the Listed Qatar Prix de la Calonne over a mile, while Dundalk stages the belated G3 Woodford Reserve Ballysax S. in which Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah) takes a step up to 10 furlongs. Having pushed Molatham (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) to the line when runner-up in the seven-furlong Jersey at the Royal meeting, Peter Brant and Coolmore's TDN Rising Star has stamina to prove.
Capannelle in Rome hosts the weekend's most valuable race, the €704,000 G3 Derby Italiano, as part of a six stakes card. The locally trained Cima Emergency (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) is the highest-rated runner and merits respect off a last-out victory in the G3 Premio Parioli Shadwell (Italian 2000 Guineas) over a mile on June 14; he has never been worse than second in five starts but has distance questions to answer as he races beyond a mile for the first time. Aurelius In Love (Ire) (Alhebayeb {Ire}) looks to build on a pair of black-type wins last year and a recent listed second over 2000 metres to Masterwin (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Baptism (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) lines up off a listed score going 2100 metres three weeks ago.
With purses significantly down in Britain, Andrew Balding and Mark Johnston are among the British-based trainers looking to take home a slice of the pie here. Johnston saddles King's Caper (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who won three times last year at two but he has been well-beaten in both outings in 2020; a fifth behind English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) in the Listed Derby Trial S. and a 12th in Royal Ascot's King George V S. Balding sends out Papa Power (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), twice a winner over the all-weather in February but last of six home in the G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot.
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