Appleby and Buick strike with improving duo Mysterious Night and Eternal Pearl

Sunday: Deauville

Mysterious Night, kick-starting what was to be an excellent few minutes for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin, showed himself to be another high-class talent in the making by landing the Group 3 Prix Francois Boutin at Deauville on Sunday.

A winner on his second start at Newbury and then third at Group 2 level behind Persian Force and Marbaan respectively in the July and Vintage Stakes, the son of Dark Angel took command at the furlong pole under William Buick and kept on to beat Bolshkinov by half a length.

Appleby, who was to win the Group 1 Preis von Berlin with Rebel's Romance very shortly after, said: "It was a race we felt would be a nice stepping stone for him; he finished third in the Group 2 at Newmarket over six furlongs and we were keen to step him up to seven.

"He ran a creditable race in the Vintage but we saw William ride him differently today, which suited him.

Mysterious Night is lead into Deauville's winner's enclosureCredit: Edward Whitaker

"We were confident coming in he was the horse to beat and, going forward, he's one I think we'll take to Canada now to try to get one of those 'win and you're in' races for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. We've got to test him a bit higher but I think he's capable of it."

Britain's champion trainer added: "He's a full-brother to our dual Grade 1 winner Althiqa, although he's a little more imposing than she was, she was a first foal, but she took herself to a good level and I feel this horse is progressing the right way to do the same."

Appleby, Buick and team Godolphin suffered disappointment with the fifth-placed finish of Coroebus in the Marois, but their afternoon ended on a high with the victory of Eternal Pearl in the Group 3 Prix Minerve.

The daughter of Frankel, who had previously gained a first stakes success in the Listed Aphrodite Fillies' Stakes, could now return to France for a tilt at Group 1 honours.

Appleby said of the three-year-old: "She had a lovely profile going into the race. She had taken on the older fillies on her last start and has progressed from there. I feel there's going to be further progression from her as she's a big, scopey filly and time is only going to benefit her.

"If you're stepping up to the level we're hoping to, you need to have some gears and she showed gears today. We'll look at something like the Vermeille."

Lassaut impresses Rouget with Listed win

In the Listed Prix Nureyev, Lassaut marked himself out as a colt with a sharp turn of foot as he ran away from Paul and Oliver Cole's raider Jack Darcy to beat him by two and a half lengths, with Cristian Demuro showing his delight before the line.

The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained colt was further boosting the form of the Prix du Jockey Club won by Vadeni, in which he had finished a never-nearer eighth.

Rouget said: "You’re always worried before any race. He went into the Poule d’Essai with a leading chance and then he showed he stayed the trip in the Prix du Jockey Club.

"The problem is his style of running and in a big field it's virtually impossible to sit at the back like that because you have too much ground to make up. What he did there is not easy.

"But he’s not like the others and you have to do it the way he wants to do it. That means choosing his races carefully and not having too many runners. He's been working well since coming back from his break after the Jockey Club and I didn’t want him to make his comeback in too hard of a race."

In a huge compliment to the colt, Rouget said his easy victory was reminiscent of his own sire, European champion Almanzor, whose successes for Rouget included the Prix du Jockey Club, Irish Champion Stakes and the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Lassaut: impressive in Listed Prix NureyevCredit: Edward Whitaker

He said: "He reminded me there of certain other days [with Almanzor]. Three people have already come up to me and said they've never seen a horse do that. It was all the more impressive because he did it in the space of 250 metres."

Rouget added of Riviera Equine Sarl and Haras D'Etreham's colt: "I thought he was going to be third but he accelerated twice. I think we’ll need to look at England for him."

The Coles were again frustrated by the Rouget-Demuro combination later on in the Group 3 Prix Gontaut-Biron Hong Kong Jockey Club, with Majestic Dawn beaten a short neck by Wally.

The popular grey son of Siyouni, owned by Jean-Pierre Barjon, now has five Group-race victories to his credit.

His trainer said: "He's a fantastic horse and I repeat it every time he runs. He did not do well at the beginning of the season as he doesn't like the soft, but in the summer he's a Group 1 horse I think.

"I would like to run him on Arc weekend but you never know whether it will rain or not."

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Catch our in-depth review of the weekend's racing every Monday in the Racing Post. With big-race analysis from Classic-winning jockey George Baker, Chris Cook's take on the weekend action, eyecatchers from the Raceform team, weekly awards and much more, it is not to be missed.