Prix Morny Preview: Raffle Prize can give Johnston his first Prix Morny

The Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday has a star-studded roll of honour that features the likes of Dream Ahead, No Nay Never and Lady Aurelia. The race has been a happy hunting ground for overseas raiders, with only one French trained winner in the last 10 years and the rest being predominately from English trained runners. This year's renewal looks particularly strong, with three Royal Ascot winners, a Glorious Goodwood winner and an exciting French colt that recorded an easy success in Group company last time out all taking their chance.

Frankie Dettori has won four of those renewals for various trainers and has an excellent chance of enhancing his record aboard multiple Group 2 winning filly Raffle Prize. Trained by Mark Johnston, she relished a stiff five furlongs at Royal Ascot when winning the Queen Mary from American raider Kimari and had subsequent Molecomb winner Liberty Beach back in fourth. She then lined up in the Duchess of Cambridge at Newmarket's July meeting under a penalty when stepping back up to today's trip and made light work of that recording an excellent performance that was backed up by the clock. She attempts to follow in the footsteps of last year's winner Pretty Pollyanna and looks to have an excellent chance of doing so, already proving versatile with regards to tactics and ground conditions.

RAFFLE PRIZE backs up her Queen Mary win with victory in the (Group 2) Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes at @NewmarketRace for @Johnston_Racing under that man @FrankieDettori!

📽️ @itvracingpic.twitter.com/rVaeJ3WY65

— Timeform Live (@TimeformLive) July 12, 2019

A'Ali lines up for Simon Crisford with an extremely similar profile to Raffle Prize, having been beaten on debut before winning multiple Group 2's. This speedy colt won the Norfolk over five furlongs at Royal Ascot when building on his highly promising debut at Ripon. That form doesn't have the strongest of looks to it, but despite that, he followed that success with a better performance over five and a half furlongs at this venue when taking the Prix Robert Papin. Frankie Dettori was on board for both of those wins and presumably had the choice between him and Raffle Prize, so it is potentially telling that he is on board the aforementioned filly, with connections swerving away from the chance for him to take on his elders in the Nunthorpe at York next week.

Aidan O'Brien hasn't won this race for a while now, which is surprising given his dominance in pattern races over the last few years, but has strong claims of breaking that record with Arizona. This lightly-raced son of No Nay Never broke his maiden tag on his second attempt when easily winning a minor event at the Curragh and will be looking to follow in his father's footsteps after his subsequent success at Royal Ascot. He was all the rage in the betting for the Coventry, suggesting connections knew a big performance was ahead and he duly obliged to win by half a length. O'Brien also saddles Royal Dornoch off the back of a promising third in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood, but he looks to be the stable second string on jockey bookings and will need to post an improved performance to break his maiden tag here.

Arizona wins the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal @Ascot 🏇

A ninth triumph in the Coventry for Aidan O'Brien 👏#RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/qQL84ghVEp

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 18, 2019

Golden Horde had the beating of Royal Dornoch at Glorious Goodwood when winning the Richmond Stakes. This son of Lethal Force, who has been a slow burner for connections, is heading the right way to fulfilling the promise that his size and pedigree offers. Before that, he broke his maiden tag on his second start when posting an authoritative performance at Windsor. That put him in the frame for Royal Ascot where he outran his odds of 33/1 to finish a good fifth behind Arizona. He's improved with every start while strengthening into his big frame and the career best in the Richmond last time puts him joint top on weight-adjusted ratings. He still has scope for improvement and rates as one of the main players in a very open renewal.

Aroha completes the overseas battalion and is the most exposed of these having had five starts in her career for Brian Meehan. Still a maiden, she stepped out of minor company and outran her 100/1 price when finishing an excellent third in the Albany, before returning to that C&D and going one place better in the Princess of Margaret. The step up to six furlongs clearly suited, along with ease in the ground, but with a dry forecast in France up until the race, she looks like getting unfavourable conditions and is in danger of being outclassed here.

Of the home challengers, Earthlight takes his chance for Andre Fabre and has plenty going for him after two C&D wins, making him a big threat to the overseas contingent. Unbeaten in three starts with two of those coming in minor events, he moved into pattern company on his latest start and took it well within his stride, travelling notably well through the Group 3 Prix De Cabourg, before quickening clear of his rivals to win by four lengths. That performance was rated on par with Arizona's Coventry success, so he is clearly a colt not to be underestimated.

Impressive! Earthlight strides clear in extremely taking fashion and makes it three from three to maintain his unbeaten record and saunter to Group 3 victory in the Prix de Cabourg at @fgdeauville... pic.twitter.com/tdz0J3jYJ0

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 28, 2019

Devil brings the most unexposed profile to the race, with him bidding to build on his perfect start. He made his debut over C&D in a newcomers' minor event, where he ran to a useful level for a debutant, suggesting he could be a colt that can go on from there. This represents a big step up in class and connections will be hoping that he isn't disgraced, but they'll have a better idea of the quality they've got on their hands after the race - for all he could be punching well above his weight.

A high-quality renewal of the Prix Morny draws together plenty of form lines from various Group contests which makes it hard to rule out any of these. Raffle Prize is in receipt a 4 lb fillies allowance which makes her of the strongest appeal given the performance she put up at Newmarket last time when shouldering a penalty. The Timefigure she posted that day was exceptional and a reproduction of that performance puts her top of the shortlist, ahead of the unbeaten Earthlight and Arizona.

Recommendation: 

Back Raffle Prize in the Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday.