As I made clear in my post yesterday, I am only too aware that both Glorious Goodwood and the Galway festival are taking place this week. Both of those meetings are deservedly taking centre stage, but although it would appear to be a quiet week in France, this is a great time of year for French racing. The summer carnival at Deauville will go on for most of the month of August with a whole host of Group 1 races, but it is normally at this time of year that we see the best French Juvenile prospects begin to emerge as we build up to the big 2-year-old races on Arc weekend in a couple of months time. Did we see the winner of the Jean-Luc Lagardere or the Marcel Boussac at Deauville on Tuesday? Well, probably not. However, there were a pair of very good maiden races on the card and there were 2 debutantes who should be worth following for the remainder of the year.
Deauville 30th July
3,3 penetrometer reading
Prix de Granville - 2YO Maiden - 1,200m
Strong early pace set by Jawwal (Devin/Al Shaqab), had the rail to help, taking 47.3s to get to the 2F pole, compared to 48.84 for the leader in the Fillies maiden. Jawwal faded, but set the race up for the others, led home by WOODY. He is bred to be a 6f horse (Wooded x Tamayuz) and built on a promising 2nd placed finish on debut at Lion D’Angers, but didn’t look keen to be in front having tracked the eventual 2nd, Hemevez, throughout the race. Alexis Pouchin was clearly trying to keep the winner covered up for as long as possible.
Ironico(Chappet) probably the horse to take from this. Dwelt in the stalls, forced to sit last and then switch widest to run on late. Closed in 34.95s, the fastest in the race though he was in receipt of 2-kilos from the others (debut allowance). (6.0 PMU)
Aleksine (Donworth) finished 5th. He has an official rating of 37.5kg, mainly earned from a 2nd placed finish behind Daylight on debut at Chantilly in May. Hard to imagine he ran to that level here and he looks to be regressing in his most recent starts. An opening mark of 38.5kg looks stiff enough for Jawwal too.
Prix de la Mere Mathilde - 2YO MaIden (F) - 1,200m
A more sedate early pace than the C&G maiden. Finishing speed of 105.6% compared to 101.9% for Woody. Race won impressively by COREY BEACH (Barberot/Al Shaqab), who came 3-lengths clear under a hands ride from Soumillon. She was briefly unsettled by racing next to the keen going Victory Call, but once sent forwards (5-wide), she picked up readily and although she hung left to the rail, once there, she straightened and pulled clear. This reversed form with both Iron Bird and Victory Call from their debut here behind Epsom Blue Cen 3-weeks ago, with the penultimate furlong of 10.97s the key turn-of-foot that the others lacked.
Better Together (Fabre/Juddmonte) finished 2nd on debut here. She was professional at the start and knew her job, but she became unbalanced at a crucial stage before keeping on in the final furlong. Received 2-kilos here, but some promise and clearly bred to be better suited by 7F or 1M later in the season. (5.6 PMU)
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