Appleby eyes Arc day juvenile Group 1s after double Deauville strike

Charlie Appleby and William Buick wasted little time in registering a stakes race double at Deauville, with Al Hilalee getting the better of a desperate finish in the Listed EBF Criterium du Fonds d'Elevage, and Beyond Reason stamping her authority on the Group 2 Shadwell Prix du Calvados half an hour later.

Beyond Reason was adding to her haul in France, having won the Prix Six Perfections on the opening weekend of the Deauville summer meeting.

Beyond Reason and William Buick winning the Shadwell Prix du CalvadosCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

That double was completed in 2011 by the John Gosden-trained Elusive Kate, and Appleby took a leaf out of the same playbook when nominating the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac as the next port of call for Beyond Reason, who continues to fly the flag for Coolmore stallion Australia.

"She's come forward again and although she's a slight filly she's very tough," said Appleby.

"The plan was always to go forward because we couldn't see any obvious pace and she now deserves a crack at the Marcel Boussac, a race I enjoy coming for.

"The only thing I would say is that she'll go where the ground is sounder, and if it did come up soft she would revert to the Fillies' Mile."

Al Hilalee came out on top at the end of a tight finish to his race over a mile, having been waited with in front by an inspired Buick.

"That's not the way to ride him but, drawn on the outside as we were, William had to make use of him," said Appleby.

"I'm confident he'll get further and it was a good learning experience with a view to next year. I'd like to try him in the Jean-Luc-Lagardere with no run in between."

The Paul Cole-trained Duke Of Hazzard finished a short-head second, while the Tom Dascombe-trained Great Scot was the same distance away in third. Both look capable of progressing.

Castellar puts unlucky Diane run behind her

The visitors were out of luck as Castellar put a luckless run in the Prix de Diane behind her when striking wide and late under Olivier Peslier in the Group 2 Shadwell Prix de la Nonette.

"Everybody kept asking me if there was an excuse for her run in the Diane and my answer to them all has been, 'Watch the video!'" said trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias.

"She was so unlucky, she had a dream run into the straight and then got stopped three times."

Laffon-Parias admitted to a change of fortune in the absence of Diane runner-up Musis Amica but, like Appleby, is now eyeing Arc weekend for Castellar, a sister to Jacques le Marois runner-up Recoletos.

"She stays better than her brother and a mile and a quarter is her distance – the Opera is the obvious race," said Laffon-Parias. "There is the EP Taylor in Canada, but it makes sense to stay home."

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