Mark Johnston: has been in good form since Glorious Goodwood
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)Discernable chases
Elusive Deauville double
Preview: France, Saturday (1.30pm BST)
Deauville: Prix du Calvados - Haras des Capucines (Group 3) 7f, 2yo fillies
DISCERNABLE (Mark Johnston/Ioritz Mendizabal) landed the Listed Prix Six Perfections here three weeks ago, kicking off what turned out to be a great week for the trainer with multiple wins at Glorious Goodwood.
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Johnston will be hoping that the daughter of Elusive Quality can repeat the effort over the straight 7f here, a win perhaps auguring well for another good week at a major British summer festival, this time at York.
The Six Perfections-Calvados double was achieved by Elusive Kate last season and Johnston hopes Discernable might go on to success at a similar level.
Johnston said: "It's the obvious progression. I think the French would say this is the obvious race to go for after the Listed she won here. We were tempted to keep her at home, where we had the odd option but, having won so nicely last time we thought we'd bring her back."
Premier Steps (Tom Dascombe/Maxime Guyon) brings a high level of form to the race having finished third to the favourite for next years' Qipco 1,000 Guineas Newfangled in the Albany two starts ago.
"At Ascot she was staying on and at Newmarket she seemed to fall asleep halfway through the race before running on," said Dascombe. "Deauville is a pretty flat, quick track and the step up to seven furlongs on quicker ground should be ideal for her"
Richard Hannon is responsible for two of the three remaining British-trained fillies, with City Image (Gerald Mosse) holding the more obvious form claims having won the Empress Stakes at Newmarket before finishing sixth on soft ground in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cherry Hinton.
Califante (Olivier Peslier) looks to step up on her second in a nursery, while Purr Along (William Muir/Umberto Rispoli) is entitled to improve on only her third run.
Among the home hopes both Wedge Trust (Jean-Claude Rouget/Christophe Soumillon) and Morning Frost (Christophe Ferland/Julien Auge) have impressed against lesser opposition at the Normandy track.
The Moonlight Cloud connections are also hopeful of a big run from Sara Lucille (Freddy Head/Thierry Jarnet), who was staying on well behind Reckless Abandon in the Prix Robert Papin last time over 5½f.
"I think she has a real chance," confirmed Head. "On this good ground she should go close."
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