'He's a pretty complete athlete' - who is poised to lay claim to Europe's sprinting crown in the Prix Maurice de Gheest?

Even the two best sprint performances of the season in Europe have been taken as evidence that the division is poor.

In winning the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes by half a length from Japan's Satono Reve, with three lengths back to the rest, Lazzat showed the lack of depth among his opposition. In theory he should have no problem picking up a second Prix Maurice de Gheest.

It is not quite that simple, though. Because of the well-advertised paucity of top sprinters, there is a higher-than-usual concentration of milers and seven-furlong horses lining up for a shot at the title.

Topgear and Stephane Pasquier will hope for better luck than at AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Topgear and Tribalist have also recently switched to sprinting. Topgear lost a couple of shoes when last in the Jubilee, but had the pace to lay up early. Tribalist won last year's Prix du Moulin and a Group 2 over a mile in May. He ran in the Prix de Ris-Orangis here five weeks ago and was sent forward to scope out his early pace. He passed that test, but conceded ground by wandering under pressure and finished third.

Beauvatier won that race, which is often used as a trial for the Maurice de Gheest, by a convincing margin that was getting wider at the line. It strongly suggested he was an improved horse compared with the one who finished third in this race last year. He could be the biggest challenge to Lazzat from the established sprinters.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

'He ticks an awful lot of boxes'

Lazzat comes to the defence of his title after a hard-fought defeat of Japan's Satono Reve, a sprinter with genuine global credentials thanks to two performances against Hong Kong star Ka Ying Rising. 

Jerome Reynier experimented with Lazzat over a mile at the end of last year and on his comeback, but sprinting is clearly his game and his way of going about the task makes him extremely hard to beat.

Jerome Reynier (second left) celebrates after Lazzat's win in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"At 1,200 [six furlongs] and 1,400 metres [seven furlongs] and on a straight track he has been perfect and the great thing is he is not subject to what anyone else is doing in the race," said Renier. "He can get into his own rhythm and he doesn’t need to be buried before delivering his kick. 

"He has such a high cruising speed that if the others try to lead him they burn themselves out and if they let him go he’s very hard to catch." 

Reynier added: "At Ascot only Satono Reve got anywhere near him, after being held up and then throwing down a strong challenge in the final 400 metres [two furlongs]. He got close but James Doyle, who didn’t really know the horse, said he always felt he had the measure of Satono Reve. He rode Lazzat with a lot of confidence and exactly how he needs to be ridden, letting him stride on in his own rhythm.

"He is a pretty complete athlete who ticks an awful lot of boxes and our job is to keep him in this kind of form." 

Ground and weather

The rain continues to stay away from the Normandy coast and with temperatures in the low 20s and plenty of sunshine on Saturday, the ground will be 3.4 on the penetrometer on Sunday morning, and will likely tighten up to 3.3 (bon) by racetime, which is somewhere between good and good to firm in GoingStick terms.

What they say

Adam Ryan, assistant to Kevin Ryan, trainer of Inisherin
The extra half-furlong won't be a problem at all. He's won at Ascot, which is a stiff six furlongs, and I think the distance could be a positive for him. He's a Group 1 sprinter and while Lazzat will be the one to beat again, we couldn't be happier with our fella.

Yann Barberot, trainer of Beauvatier
He’s come forward since winning his prep and I’m really looking forward to what is a really good race, albeit I'd have preferred not to be drawn on the wing in stall 11. I think, like most speed horses, he has grown in maturity. We weren’t sure that he was a pure sprinter through last year but he showed he was at Ascot at the end of the year. The opposition is of very high level but as the saying goes, the greater the enemy, the greater the honour.

Andre Fabre, trainer of Sajir and Tribalist
Sajir always runs well and we’ll give him a positive ride and see if he’s good enough to compete. Tribalist runs here on the way to the Prix du Moulin as I don’t think he’d have a chance in the Marois [next Sunday] unless he wins here, which I think is unlikely. So I have to run him to keep him fit.

Sajir and Oisin Murphy (maroon silks) winning the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket in AprilCredit: Edward Whitaker

Ed Bethell, trainer of Regional
He's finished third in two Group 1s and a Group 3, so he's holding his form incredibly well at the age of seven. I went to Ascot over five furlongs because it was the weaker race of the two. We then had that monsoon-like rain at Newbury half an hour before the race and it was loose on top and he had wheelspins. I've thought this could be his race since he finished third in Dubai in April because he looked like he was coming back at them at the line.

Sebastien Desmontils, racing manager to Hisaaki Saito, owner of Topgear
Ascot was very disappointing because he lost both front shoes on very fast ground and Stephane Pasquier wisely decided not to persist, meaning he really didn’t have a race. He's in great form and worked very well ten days ago. He loves a straight track and he loves Deauville.

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Symbol Of Honour
Symbol Of Honour ran a very creditable race in the July Cup and I feel that the six and a half furlongs here will be a good trip for him.

Rayevka and Mickael Barzalona return after winning the Prix Marchand d'OrCredit: Racing Post/Burton

Francis Graffard, trainer of Woodshauna and Rayevka
Woodshauna is in really good form and the trip is ideal for him but this is a really good field, and the question is how he measures up to hardened and experienced sprinters. We've worked out that Rayevka needs to be buried away so that she drops the bit and that means she can really pick up. It was a super performance in the Commonwealth Cup when she had to do it by herself on the 'wrong' wing of the race. She's very well and has all the allowances but, as with Woodshauna, we can't know how she will fare in this company.
Reporting by Scott Burton

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