French Preview: Metro to reverse Robert Papin form

Named after the founder of Deauville racecourse, Auguste de Morny, the Prix Morny is part of a Group 1 double-header at the seaside venue on Sunday. Sponsored by Darley, the breeder of this year’s Prix Morny winner will receive a 2019 nomination to a Darley stallion up to the value of €10,000. If the winner has also landed either of the previous legs of the Darley series – the Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte and the Prix de Cabourg at Deauville - this will increase to €20,000.

As Jamie Lynch explains in his weekly column, this would get you less than a tenth of a visit to Darley flagship stallion Dubawi now, though you would have had change to spare from €20,000 had this been 2009, the horse’s first season at stud.

Regardless, Diomed Bloodstock, breeders of Robert Papin winner Signora Cabello will have a close eye on proceedings this weekend. Originally picked up for 20,000 guineas by Zen Racing, Signora Cabello was bought into (75/25 split) by Phoenix Thoroughbred after her listed win at York in May and she duly won the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot (by a short head from Gossamer Wings) in June.

#Plat #R1MaisonsLaffitte La gagnante des Queen Mary Stakes à @Ascot Signora Cabello #Camacho (John Quinn / @FrankieDettori) unique femelle du lot gagne le Robert Papin Gr.2. @MLHippodrome
🥈Sexy Metro (D.Guillemin)
🥉True Mason (Karl R. Burke) pic.twitter.com/utpi06bBsX

— Equidia (@equidia) July 22, 2018

She completed a four-timer when battling well to beat Sexy Metro by a neck in the 5.5f Robert Papin last time and comes here as a leading contender, likely to prove as effective at this trip if her breeding is anything to go by (dam a two-year-old winner over six furlongs). Her trainer John Quinn also won this race with The Wow Signal in 2014.

Signora Cabello is one of three British fillies taking on the colts, with Prix de Cabourg winner Comedy – bred by John Hutchinson – also firmly in the mix. She hinted at ability on debut at Nottingham but improved markedly when winning minor events at Pontefract and Doncaster in June. She completed her own hat-trick over C&D last time, by two lengths from Kodyanna, again making all and keeping on well, and is likely to progress further. She represents Karl Burke, who trained Unfortunately and Havana Grey to finish first and second in this race last year. Unfortunately, incidentally, won the Robert Papin en-route.

The third filly is Pretty Pollyanna who tops Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings. She improved plenty from her debut win when beaten just over two lengths into fifth behind Main Edition in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and took another big step forward when winning the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket last time by seven lengths from Angel's Hideaway, disputing the lead and beginning to assert when left clear over a furlong out. She’s the top-rated two-year-old filly in Europe on the back of that effort.

Pretty Pollyanna absolutely flies home and springs a shock in the Duchess of Cambridge in an incident packed affair.

Results https://t.co/7iJOPsdIyZ pic.twitter.com/73JZIdm8Jz

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) 13 July 2018

The Robert Papin is a crucial piece of form; the second (Sexy Metro), third (True Mason) and fifth (Simply Striking) all reoppose having been beaten less than a length and a half there. Sexy Metro lost his unbeaten record but improved again when beaten a neck, coming from further back than his rivals, while True Mason has made giant strides this season and was never far away from the pace. Simply Striking, wide-margin winner of two races at Maisons-Laffitte, jinked left at the start and didn’t get a clear run late on, so is not one to take lightly, either.

Unlucky Newbury Super Sprint third Kinks needs to improve to feature, while Anglesey Stakes winner Marie’s Diamond confirmed his toughness (and useful level of ability) when finishing a length second to Land Force in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood just 12 days later. The latter is progressing steadily as he gains experience and is worth extra credit for that win given he kept pulling out more having pressed the strong pace from the off; he's obviously talented but an excellent attitude looks to be one of his big assets.

In summary, Pretty Pollyanna is the one to beat, but she is prohibitively priced in a race where most of the field are still open to some improvement. One of those is undoubtedly the progressive Comedy, who will bid to provide her trainer with a second successive win in this race. Signora Cabello is respected, despite a niggling doubt that she got the perfect tow into the race by the owners’ Pocket Dynamo in the Robert Papin, but it might be worth taking a chance on Sexy Metro reversing the form at 10/1. He was gaining at the line that day and is related to winners over 7f+ so should be suited by the extra distance here.

The other Group 1 on Sunday is the Prix Jean Romanet, a 10-furlong contest for older fillies and mares that has been dominated in recent years by British trainers who have won five of the last six renewals. Urban Fox, who won the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh (by three and a quarter lengths from Oaks winner Forever Together) in July, leads the charge. She couldn’t quite match that form when two lengths second to Wild Illusion in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood last time, but time may show that she had a tough task trying to give weight and race position away to a smart three-year-old.

Where next for Wild Illusion? 🏇

She was too good for the Nassau field 🏆🏆#GoodwoodRaces pic.twitter.com/TBDbjuRcVf

— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) 16 August 2018

Wilamina, fifth that day, is a consistent mare but her form leaves her with a bit to find with the best of these. One of those is Rhododendron, who was one place behind Wilamina at Goodwood, but the Lockinge Stakes winner’s run was too bad to be true. She’s a very smart performer on her day and stays this trip well (won the Prix de l'Opera at Chantilly in 2017), so a better performance is expected in first-time blinkers.

Bateel narrowly tops weight-adjusted ratings. She won the Pinnacle Stakes at Haydock, Prix de Pomone here and Prix Vermeille at Chantilly (by two and a half lengths from Journey) last season, and was a creditable second to Hydrangea in the Fillies' And Mares' Stakes at Ascot on her final start. She made no mistake in the Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud (Navaro Girl third) on her reappearance in May and has been kept fresh for this, though it’s worth pointing out that was also the case when she was only fifth in last year’s renewal. She needs a strong pace to be seen to best effect over this trip.

Prix de l'Opera third Lady Frankel ran up to her best on her reappearance and is respected, looking like a typical slow-maturing Gestut Ammerland-bred sort that the yard do so well with. She appears to be a bigger danger than either Golden Legend or Haggle, last year’s seventh whose future lies in the paddocks (sold for €1,300,000 in December 2017). The consistent filly I’m So Fancy is also easy enough to take on, despite two recent listed wins and a Group 2 second to Magical, all at the Curragh.

To conclude, she may be the classy older mare in the race, but conditions may not suit Bateel ideally. Instead, Pretty Polly winner Urban Fox gets the vote at 4/1. She has been much improved since joining William Haggas and is preferred to Rhododendron.

Elsewhere on the card, Marmelo bids for back-to-back wins in the Prix Kergorlay. He’s joined by stablemate Nearly Caught, himself a previous winner of the race (2016), and Willie Mullins’ Queen Alexandra Stakes runner-up Renneti. Meanwhile, Crimson Rosette, Precious Ramotswe and God Given run in the Prix de Pomone. All in all, the four Group races on Deauville’s excellent card should provide plenty of interest for fans of British and Irish racing, as well as some success for the trainers and owners venturing across Le Channel.

Recommended bets:

Sexy Metro to win Sunday's Prix Morny at 10/1

Urban Fox to win Sunday's Prix Jean Romanet at 4/1