G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest

Always talented but frustratingly for King Power Racing just below what is required at the top level in his native England, Art Power (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has made successful overseas raids his main business and the travel-hungry sprinter is a notable first-timer at Deauville on Sunday for the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. Five trips to Ireland have resulted in a 100% win record, with The Curragh's G2 Greenlands S. and G2 Sapphire S. among this year's tally so it will be fascinating to see if his debut outing...

Group 2 winner Just Beautiful (GB) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) will not participate at Royal Ascot, and will instead point toward targets later in the summer with a trip to the Breeders' Cup also a possibility, trainer Paddy Twomey revealed on Friday. The 5-year-old Moyglare Stud colourbearer ran fifth in the G3 Athasi S. at the Curragh in early May, before taking the G2 Lanwades Stud S. later in the month. The G1 Falmouth S., as well as the G1 Prix Rothschild--both in July--and the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest...

Deauville hosts its second Group 1 contest of the August festival on Sunday, with the 6 1/2-furlong ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest representing a niche for the staying sprinters of which Godolphin's Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is prominent. Coming of age this term with success in Royal Ascot's G1 Platinum Jubilee S. June 18, he beat everything that re-opposed from that contest again in Newmarket's G1 July Cup July 9 only to find Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) too strong. Some of them are here too, but this...

Starman (GB) (Dutch art {GB}), the winner of the G1 July Cup, will aim for a start in the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on Sept. 4 after running a close third in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Sunday. A winner of his first three starts last fall, including the Listed Garrowby S. at York in September, the 4-year-old colt did not care for the soft ground in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. and ran unplaced in October. he was back on top...

Deauville stages the G1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest on Sunday, where David Ward's G1 July Cup hero Starman (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) has to tackle testing ground as he bids to put his marker down on the sprinting division. Beaten only once when encountering soft going in Ascot's G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S., the 4-year-old nevertheless carries significant stable confidence into the 6 1/2-furlong highlight. "He's in cracking form and we're super excited, so fingers crossed," trainer Ed Walker said. "Everything has gone very well since the July...

Glen Shiel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who ran sixth in the G1 Darley July Cup on July 10, is enjoying a solid preparation in advance of a start in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest on Aug. 8. Trained by Archie Watson, the 7-year-old gelding won the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. last term and was second in the June 19 G1 Diamond Jubilee S. "He's bang on course for the Maurice de Gheest now, and we're looking forward to running him there and excited about his targets later in...

Two-time Group 1 winner and Saturday's G1 Darley July Cup third Oxted (GB) (Mayson {GB}) will undergo a thorough examination by a veterinarian prior to racing again, according to trainer Roger Teal. Last year's July Cup hero, who also bagged the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot on June 15, veered right across the course during the running of the Newmarket sprint on Saturday. "He seems absolutely fine, but we're going to have him checked out because we don't know why he hung across the track," said Teal. "We'll...

Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}), a winner of the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June, will next take part in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Aug. 9. Clive Cox has earmarked that French feature for his charge, who most recently ran third in the G1 July Cup on July 11. As a juvenile, the Al Mohamediya Racing colourbearer scooped the G2 Richmond S. and was third and second, respectively, in the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. "It's day-by-day with these...