top class card at Deauville

some of the midweek racing at Deauville is moderate, but they have top class racing on Sundays and today is no exception, with two Group One races heading the card. The Prix Morny for 2yo´s over 1200 metres at 14.30 is one of the best juvenile races of the year in Europe and has an international field, with five French runners faced by four from the U.K, and two (both trained by Aidan O´Brien) from Ireland. Dabirsim (owned by the boss!) won this last year for France, but otherwise the Brits have dominated this century and we expect Reckless Abandon (Clive Cox/ Gerald Mossé) to continue this trend. He is unbeaten in 3 starts and last time won the Prix Robert Papin with 3 of these opponents behind. Hamdan al Maktoum´s pair Alhebayeb (Richard Hannon/ Paul Hanagan) and Mazameer (Freddie Head/ Christophe Soumillon) look the main dangers, but André Fabre´s runner Zenji (Pierre Boudot), by Dabirsim´s sire Hat Trick, could also be a threat.
The Prix Jean Romanet for 4yo and older fillies and mares over 2000 metres at 15.40 also has an extremely strong field. Multiple Group One winner Snow Fairy (Ed Dunlop/ Ryan Moore) is the best of the older brigade, but she has not run since winning in Japan in November and the stable is going throigh a quiet spell. Sortilege (Andreas Wöhler/ Maxime Guyon) is the only German runner; she has a good pedigree, being out of an own sister to Samum and Schiaparelli, but has so far not shown herself to be up to Group One level. There could still be a German winner, as Giofra (Alain de Royer-Dupré/ Soumillon) won the Falmouth Stakes last time and looks a filly right out of the top drawer; she is owned by Jürgen Winter´s Haras de la Perelle. The obvious danger is Galinova (Freddie Head/ Olivier Peslier), a sister to the great Goldikova, but also pretty smart in her own right. On her only 2012 start she finished third to Meandre in a false-run race for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, wit h Danedream last of four. That race can be ignored, she has clearly been trained with today´s race in mind and she may be able to get the better of Giofra.
The third group race on the card is the Prix Kergolay over 3000 metres at 16.10, with two German runners - Flamingo Fantasy (Sascha Smcrzek/ Stephane Pasquier) and Tres Rock Danlon (waldemar Hickst/ Johan Victoire); they met over this CD 3 weeks ago, when Flamingo Fantasy was beaten a head with the Rock in fourth, but meet much stronger opposition today, headed by Melbourne Cup winner Americain (Royer-Dupré/ Mossé). There are also two German runners in the Grand Handicap des Sprinters over 1000 metres at 15.08; German-breds do not usually shine over this distance, but Birthday Lion (Uwe Stoltefuss/ Peslier) and Lord Shuffle (Hans Blume/ Theo Bachelot) both have good form over the trip and should run well.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Opie - Real Tiara - Black Whip
2. Race: Pareo - Miss Fifty - Nice Danon
3. Race: Reckless Abandon - Sir Prancealot - Snowday
4. Race: Small Frida - Chopouest - Vital Spirit
5. Race: Timepiece - Galikova - Giofra
6. Race: Brigantin - Americain - Joshua Tree
7. Race: Mahirah - A Huge Dream - Derivatives
8. Race: Ceodora - Nice Yield - Enverse