Andre Fabre and Alain de Royer-Dupre currently share the record of nine wins in Deauville's G3 Prix Minerve and Sunday's edition could prove the decider with the former holding the aces with Papillon Stables's Impressionist (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).
Beaten just a short neck by Al Wathna (GB) (Nayef) when second in the G2 Prix de Malleret over a mile and a half at Saint-Cloud July 3, she narrowly holds the third-placed Do Re Mi Fa Sol (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) on that running and is sure to improve for this extra half-furlong trip.
In a fascinating encounter, LNJ Foxwoods's Golden Valentine (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}) comes into the reckoning on the back of her win in the Listed Prix de Thiberville over 12 furlongs at Saint-Cloud July 14, while the June 5 G3 Prix de Royaumont winner The Juliet Rose (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) has to defy a five-pound penalty as she bids to rebound from a latest 13th in Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane over what was probably an inadequate 10 1/2-furlong trip June 19.
If de Royer-Dupre is to upstage Fabre, it will need to be with His Highness The Aga Khan's Deremah (More Than Ready), who lacks black-type form but who was just a short neck behind the subsequent G3 Prix Chloe winner War Flag (War Front) when second in a 9 1/2-furlong conditions event on Chantilly's Polytrack at the start of June.
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