By Tom Frary
With the European Classics around the corner, expect an explosion of activity over the next few days beginning at Deauville on Tuesday with the G3 Prix Imprudence and G3 Prix Djebel. TDN Rising Star Ramatuelle (Justify) lines up in the former, stepping up to seven furlongs for the first time after a storming juvenile campaign that saw her take the G2 Prix Robert Papin and G3 Prix du Bois and finish a narrow second to Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in the G1 Prix Morny here in August.
Godolphin's Listed Bosra Sham S. winner Romantic Style (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) also goes beyond six furlongs for the first time and Charlie Appleby is not certain that she will excel. “She won the Bosra Sham Stakes on testing ground, so similar conditions shouldn't be an issue, but the step up to seven furlongs is the slight question mark,” he said. Also from Britain is the David Menuisier-trained G3 Prix Miesque scorer Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), while Juddmonte's Polytrack debut winner Abstract (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is an intriguing contender from the Henri-Francis Graffard stable.
In the Djebel, Nurlan Bizakov's unbeaten gelding Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) has won his three starts by a cumulative margin of 14 lengths including in the Listed Prix de la Californie on similar ground last time. Trainer Jerome Reynier said, “Tomorrow will be pretty deep and sticky, he's running around a straight course for the first time. I am very happy with Lazzat, he looks good, has been training very well and I'm very enthusiastic about him.”
Menuisier saddles Clive Washbourn's G1 Futurity Trophy runner-up Devil's Point (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), who sets the standard on that form. “He seems well, it's a prep run and the ground will be testing but we know he likes those sorts of conditions,” he said. “We will take his races one by one and we feel he might be more efficient over seven furlongs than a mile.” Jean-Claude Rouget usually targets something significant at these preps and he relies on The Aga Khan's impressive Cagnes-Sur-Mer conditions winner Keran (Fr) (Blue Point {Ire}) as he shuffles his Classic pack.
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