'We hope he's a Morny horse' - Burke looking for Elite Status to bounce back from Norfolk disappointment

Elite Status went to Royal Ascot as arguably the most talked-about juvenile in Britain off the back of an impressive success in the National Stakes at Sandown and, with the hype that surrounded him, third place in the Norfolk probably counted as a slight disappointment.

Trainer Karl Burke steps him up to six furlongs at Deauville for the Group 3 Prix de Cabourg (2.50), a prize the yard captured in 2018 with Comedy.

"He definitely underperformed, though for what reason I'm not 100 per cent sure," said Burke. "We had to give him a jab straight after the win at Sandown and he spiked a temperature. It definitely knocked him a bit flat. I hate making excuses and we were beaten fair and square on the day but I don't think he showed his true self.

"He should improve for a step up to six, he's a great long-striding horse and is working well. It was always my idea to target the Prix Morny after Ascot if he's good enough, and this slots in well."

Elite Status followed Reveiller through in the Norfolk and left that rival four and a quarter lengths back in seventh, while the race developed away from The Fixer, who ran up the stands' side rail to be tenth. 

The O'Callaghan family thought enough of Power Mode not to let him go for €120,000 at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale here in May and their faith in the strapping son of Speightstown was quickly repaid when he made a winning debut over six furlongs at Yarmouth, where Kieran O'Neill gave him an excellent introduction under hands and heels. 

"He certainly won well enough to deserve a crack at a Group 3 like this and he's come on for that run since," said trainer Alice Haynes. "He's a big type of horse and I expect him to keep progressing with racing as the year goes on."

Jean-Claude Rouget, Cristian Demuro and Michel Zerolo with Havana Cigar at Saint-Cloud

The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Havana Cigar overcame greenness to win at Saint-Cloud on debut, and then pulled hard early at Chantilly before streaking clear of his rivals; both successes came over today's distance, while Andre Fabre's Sajir won on his only start over six and a half furlongs and soft ground at Saint-Cloud.  

Empress Wu was six lengths adrift of Al Asifah in a Listed race at Goodwood on good to firm ground but was clear best of the rest and might easily prove more effective on this softer surface in the Prix de Pyche Sky Sports Racing (4.00). 

David Simcock trained her dam Chinoiseries and her granddam, Madame Chiang, who both appreciated cut in the ground. 

Unusually there is only one filly to represent the Prix de Diane form, although Left Sea can be excused her 12th-placed effort only seven days on from winning at Longchamp.

"We tried something daring in backing her up quickly in the Diane and Olivier [Peslier] looked after her once his chance was gone," said Carlos Laffon-Parias, who won the race in 2016 with Left Sea's dam, Left Hand, and again with Villa Marina in 2019. "She has had plenty of time to recover since. She is in good form and the ground won’t bother her at all."

Left Sea and Maxime Guyon after winning the Prix Melisande

Maymay was no match for Beauvatier – one of the best juvenile colts seen out in France this season – when third over the turning seven furlongs here at the start of the month, but that experience will stand her in good stead against her own sex in the Prix Six Perfections Sky Sports Racing (4.35).

"She ran very well over the course and distance last time in a competitive, small field," said trainer Kevin Phillipart de Foy. "Shegoes there in good form. The ground will be quite soft over there on Sunday, but that won't be an issue."

Geologist was given an official rating of 83 for winning at Ripon on her third start, having previously been 12th in the Queen Mary, but trainer Amy Murphy boasts an enviable 25 per cent strike rate in France this season, with six of her nine wins coming with two-year-olds.

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