By Tom Frary
Having beaten the best sprinters around in the G1 July Cup, Peter Harris's Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) returns to familiar territory as he bids for a prestigious double in Sunday's G1 ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest. Starting to bloosom into the top-flight performer he now is at Deauville last summer, Jane Chapple-Hyam's project thrived in this Normandy air to record a brace of black-type successes in the Listed Prix Moonlight Cloud and G3 Prix de Meautry prior to his coming-of-age campaign this term.
There is a danger that his July Cup form could be criticised, with the 3-year-olds failing to make a serious impact, but the fact was that he was the fastest on the day at Newmarket and he has a rock-solid profile heading here.
Unbeaten so far and another who has performed to a high standard over this straight course, Nurlan Bizakov's Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) drops in trip from the seven furlongs over which he dominated the G3 Prix Djebel here in April and the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac at ParisLongchamp in June. Second on the latter occasion was White Birch Farm's TDN Rising Star Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), who went on to fill the same spot behind another of the Jean-Claude Rouget stable's TDN Rising Stars in Puchkine (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in last month's G1 Prix Jean Prat here.
Set free by the change in tactics in that contest, Puchkine dominated from start to finish but he may struggle to do the same to a host of hardened sprinters. The third TDN Rising Star to fill the frame in the Jean Prat was Philippe Allaire and Haras d'Etreham's Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who may finally be granted the pace scenario he has been crying out for.
Others to note are last year's winner King Gold (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}), who beat the re-opposing Exxtra (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot.
Darnation Bids For Classic Double…
Sunday also sees the G1 Henkel-Preis der Diana take place at Dusseldorf, where Newtown Anner Stud's homebred Darnation (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) bids to become the latest filly to complete the G2 German 1000 Guineas-German Oaks double in the 11-furlong Classic. Again partnered by Adrie de Vries, the Karl Burke trainee who has subsequently been second in Newcastle's G3 Hoppings Stakes is part of an overseas contingent which includes Australian Bloodstock's acquisition Bubble Gum (Fr) (Cloth Of Stars {Ire}) who was sixth for the Fabrice Chappet stable in the G1 Prix de Diane.
Germany's best chance of keeping the prize at home may come from Gestut Rottgen's G3 Diana-Trial winner Erle (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}) from a favourable draw against the rail, while Sarah Steinberg has two live prospects in Gestut Brummerhof's Diya (Ger) (Dubawi {Ire}), a daughter of the 2019 Diana heroine Diamanta (Ger) (Maxios {GB}) who captured Mulheim's Listed Diana Trial last month, and Gestut Ebbesloh's New York City (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) who was beaten less than a length when fourth behind Erle at Hoppegarten in June before running third in the G3 Hamburger Stutenpreis over this trip last month.
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