Marcialis hoping Sestilio Jet can turn tables on Batwan in Prix du Gros-Chene

4.35 Deauville
Prix du Gros-Chene (Group 2) | 5f | 3yo+ | SKY

The Prix de Saint-Georges earlier this month looks the key piece of form when it comes to Sunday's Prix du Gros-Chene, with the first seven home reopposing in Group 2 company at Deauville.

Philippe Sogorb's Batwan stuck to the task gamely to win the Group 3 prize at Longchamp, which was the first race held in France following racing's shutdown and saw just a length and a quarter separate the first six finishers.

The mount of French champion jockey Maxime Guyon was absent for a year prior to his successful return at Longchamp and now turns out just 20 days on from his hard-fought half-length success over Gold Vibe, who is also open to improvement.

Trainer Andrea Marcialis is hoping Sestilio Jet - who finished third - can reverse the form of his defeat to Batwan, which came 204 days after his previous start, but perhaps under slightly adjusted tactics from jockey Alexis Badel.

"The horse ran a super race on his comeback and, if anything, his jockey got there too soon," he said.

"He has a big chance and the only negative is that he is a much better horse on soft ground."

Sestilio Jet fetched £400,000 at the Goffs London Sales before Royal Ascot last year, but remained with the same connections.

Marcialis added: "It is a very open race with maybe six that can win it and if you ran it several times you'd get as many different results."

Deauville: the scene of Sunday's Prix du Gros-CheneCredit: Patrick McCann

Red Torch proved progressive towards the end of last season and shaped with promise when finishing just behind Sestilio Jet earlier this month, an effort that could be considered a career-best.

Former Listed course winner Ken Colt showed his Prix de l'Abbaye flop was a run worth drawing a line through when shaping encouragingly enough on his comeback run in fifth, while Tour To Paris, sixth behind Batwan last time, was kept busy in Dubai earlier this year and has thus far failed to strike in Group company.

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