By Tom Frary
Racing with the weight of family honour on his shoulders, Juddmonte's unique commodity Kikkuli (GB) (Kingman {GB}) lines up as one of the most tantalising members of Sunday's cast for Deauville's G1 Haras d'Etreham Prix Jean Prat. Cruelly denied by pixels in Royal Ascot's G3 Jersey Stakes over this seven-furlong trip last month, the half-brother to Frankel (GB) and Noble Mission (GB) was finishing best of all in that competitive affair which rates at least the equal in terms of form to this race.
While she was only fourth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Godolphin's Romantic Style (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) had to navigate an unfavourable wide draw in that ParisLongchamp Classic and a repeat of her previous defeat of Ramatuelle (Justify) and Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) in the course-and-distance G3 Prix Imprudence puts her firmly in contention. The Sangster colour-bearer Kathmandu (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) was half a length ahead in the Pouliches, with Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in between in third, but had the run of the race from a low stall and might have it to do to confirm placings with that duo.
Clive Washbourn's G2 German 2000 Guineas winner Devil's Point (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) had the subsequent G3 Grosser Preis der Wirtschaft winner Penalty (Ger) (Frankel {GB}) back in second in that Cologne Classic, but is not guaranteed to enjoy this drop back to seven. Second in a deep-ground G1 Futurity Trophy in October, he was a soundly-beaten third behind Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) in the G3 Prix Djebel over this track and trip in April while White Birch Farm's TDN Rising Star Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) shook up that rival when second in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix Paul de Moussac last time.
Dictating the Narrativo
Hamburg's 155th G1 Idee Deutsches Derby has an open feel on Sunday and the favourite looks likely to be Gestut Ittlingen's Narrativo (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) from the Peter Schiergen stable. Third behind the high-class Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix Hocquart, he returned to home soil to capture the G2 Union-Rennen at Cologne where the fellow Ittlingen runner Alleno (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) was 1 3/4 lengths away in third. Waldemar Hickst has a strong hand, with Stall Lucky Owner's impressive Listed Dusseldorf Derby Trial winner Wintertraum (Ger) (Lord Of England {Ger}) joined by their G3 Baden-Baden Derby-Trial winner Augustus (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). Darius Racing's Borna (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) was four-lengths second to Wintertraum in the G2 Gran Criterium at the San Siro in October, but he beat the solid British yardstick Royal Supremacy (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) with authority in the G2 Derby Italiano at the Capannelle in May.
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