By Tom Frary
He has been out of action since his powerful display in the G2 Dante Stakes in May, but Isa Salman Al Khalifa's Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) has never been too far from the news given his obvious potential and so it is with more than a small sense of anticipation that the purists await his comeback in Thursday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. Some of racing's kingpins have won this 10-furlong staging post in recent years, namely Almanzor (Fr), Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) and Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) and it is certain to suit William Haggas's latest stable star.
Favouring a more stealthy approach to the top and avoiding the temptation of the Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International may pay off handsomely in time and Haggas is keen to see the six-length winner of York's premier Derby trial back at the races. “He's still relatively inexperienced. As promising as he might look, he's still only run three races in his life, so we thought the Juddmonte might be quite a hard ask for a horse first time out for a while,” he explained.
“He's a pretty nice horse, I haven't been looking very hard to see how good he is because that's not the way we like to do it, but he does everything very easily, he's pretty fit and I'm very much looking forward to getting him back on track–I can't wait really. What concerns me personally is how tight the ground might be for him. He's a great big horse and it's going to be quick ground, but he's got to run so we'll need to get on with it. He's a beautiful-looking horse and everything he has done so far has pleased us. He had a gallop at the racecourse at Newmarket about 10 days ago and he looked really good, so I'm really happy with him.”
Economics's compatriot Jayarebe (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) also sidestepped the Eclipse and is appearing after a lay-off having last raced in Royal Ascot's G3 Hampton Court Stakes. King's Gambit (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who was runner-up to Jayarebe in that 10-furlong contest, boosted the form when bustling up Alflaila (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G2 York Stakes last month and trainer Brian Meehan is thinking Breeders' Cup ultimately for Iraj Parvizi's promising colt.
“He's great, really happy with him. He seems like he's improved, he's in tremendous form,” he said. “I considered the Eclipse, which was a couple of weeks later and it was only the [soft] ground that put us off running there. He's taken a nice, gradual increase in class as he's progressed and this was kind of a very obvious next step for him, staying in his own age group. The plan has always been to take him to the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar. Depending on what happens on Thursday, where to take him in between is a bit of a dilemma, but saying that I'd be happy to not run him again until the Breeders' Cup.”
“He's got a good travelling speed,” he added. “The track at Del Mar is maybe not the ideal track for him, but he has got a good racing pace and he's just really straightforward and a good galloper and I think an extra two furlongs on that particular day would be ideal as well.”
Also from Britain is Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Listed Heron Stakes winner Almaqam (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who steps up in trip having been sixth in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes, while the Wertheimers' G2 Prix Eugene Adam winner Bright Picture (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) is worthy of respect despite the strength of the overseas challenge.
Louise Procter Returns…
Deauville's G3 Prix de Lieurey sees White Birch Farm's still-exciting TDN Rising Star Louise Procter (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) stage her comeback having been given plenty of time to get over her disappointing effort in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp in May. Unbeaten and the 2-1 favourite entering that mile Classic, she again faces a typically strong British challenge including the Listed Prix de Bagatelle winner Bright Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and the Listed Coral Distaff scorer Spiritual (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
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