G2 Prix du Calvados

Relishing the step up to seven furlongs on Saturday, Al Shaqab's G3 Princess Margaret Stakes winner Simmering (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}--Cashla Bay {GB}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) mastered her peers with a degree of comfort in Deauville's G2 Prix du Calvados to suggest she can enter elite territory sooner rather than later. Always travelling easily under Dylan Browne McMonagle tracking the pace, the Ollie Sangster-trained 7-5 favourite cruised to the front two out and once committed soon after gave generous response to inflict a three-length defeat on the previously...

With York's Ebor Festival drawing the elite performers next week, Saturday's action across Europe is lacking a championship contest but not intrigue as some progressive types put their reputations on the line at Deauville, Newbury and The Curragh. Perhaps the biggest name on the day is Ballydoyle's G1 St Leger hero Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G3 Royal Whip Stakes at the Kildare venue, looking to build on his comeback effort in a renewal of Royal Ascot's G2 Hardwicke Stakes that has taken on extra gravitas with the...

'TDN Rising Star' Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never) encountered G1 Prix Morny contender Ramatuelle (Justify) when hitting the board in June's G3 Prix du Bois at Chantilly and backed up a win in last month's Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles at Vichy with an impressive performance and a career high in Saturday's G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville. The 22-5 chance was steadied to race at the tail of the field and found a comfortable rhythm tracking all seven rivals through the early fractions. Making smooth headway...

Ornellaia (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), winner last out at Goodwood Aug. 3, will target a series of group tests over the coming weeks, according to Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager for Amo Racing. The Dominic Ffrench Davis-trained filly is slated to make her first foray into group company Saturday in the G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville. Prior to her seven-furlong score, the 2-year-old finished third behind Sacred Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire})--subsequent G3 Princess Margaret S. winner--in a six-furlong Newmarket maiden July 13. "We went to Newmarket...

Mohammed Al Shahi's 2-year-old filly Wed (Fr) (Profitable {Ire}--Eaton Street {GB}, by Discreet Cat) snagged two of three prior outings and continued on an upward trajectory with a decisive success in Saturday's G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville. The Maurizio Guarnieri trainee debuted with a June 17 win at La Teste de Buch before running second over the same seven-furlong strip back there the following month and lined up for her first black-type start returning off an impressive 4 1/2-length tally at Dax last week. The 13-2 chance was handily...

Group winner Dandalla (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire})'s next target will be either the G1 Prix Morny on Aug. 23 or the G2 Prix du Calvados the day prior, both at Deauville in France. Unbeaten in three starts, including the G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot on June 19 and the July 10 G2 Dutchess of Cambridge S. at Newmarket, the Nick Bradley Racing silksbearer is trained by Karl Burke. "She's in the two races, but if she goes anywhere it will be the Morny," said Burke. "We just put her...