Caroline & Marie-Francoise Saturday Selections for 30th August 2025

Caroline & Marie-Francoise Saturday Selections from The Curragh & Deauville

The Curragh

Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies) 2.20
Sugar Island
I’m thinking that the first of the Pattern races on Saturday at the Curragh is going to Sugar Island. It looks like Ryan Moore thinks she’s the one to sit on, preferring her to the Justify filly Moments Of Joy, so that’s where my Euro’s going, though Joseph O’Brien might have different ideas about that with his Kingman filly Queen Of Hawaii. She improved a bit to win at Leopardstown the last day, and should come on for this step up to a mile. To make it an altogether O’Brien family affair, Donnacha has Cape Sounion going for a win after four seconds, and she can also improve for this trip. The Dubawi filly Sugar Island does look the one to beat, with an ideal low draw.

Heider Family Stables Round Tower Stakes (Group 3) 2.52
Ipanema Queen
With Aidan O’Brien having some really decent two year olds this season, it is easy to see why Mission Central is so short for the Round Tower. But, I’m of the opinion that Adrian Murray’s Ipanema Queen will take all the beating back here after taking the Curragh Stakes two weeks back, and could come on from that run to score over 6 furlongs. The inside draw helps, while Mission Central has to come across from pretty wide, and might find the bird has flown by then! Yep, Ipanema Queen it is for me, with Mission Central to push her close.

Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies & Mares) 3.27
Red Letter (nap)
We really liked this Frankel filly last year here at Yuulo, and this is her chance to put some Group form into the book. If there’s any rain around, that will be in her favour, and will certainly give an edge over the British raider Sand Gazelle, who will be wanting a quicker surface, while Jessica Harrington’s Barnavara and Dermot Weld’s Azada also get onto my list, with softer ground never going to be a concern. But Red Letter is still improving each run, to my mind, so she is the one to be following for the Snow Fairy.

Deauville

Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville (Group 2) 4.52
Sibayan (nb)
Oui, I think that is is going to be Francis-Henri Graffard’s Sibayan that will win the Grand Prix de Deauville. He won the Prix Maurice de Nieuil last month, just making a neck in front of Christopher Head’s Internaute, and this makes him two wins and two seconds from this season. Maybe Andre Fabre’s Marquisat will be the big danger non, as he was winning the Prix Dubai Racing Club over this course the distance earlier this month, but it is Sibayan I think is the one to beat, with David Menuisier’s Sunway also making my list with Christophe Soumillon on the top. Sibayan maybe has further to progress, so must be my pick for the Grand Prix de Deauville.

Barriere Prix Quincey (Group 3) 5.27
Dreamliner
This is a very very hard race to get the winner, with many that could be winning, but I will stick with Stephane Wattel’s Dreamliner. It is the softer ground that could be catching some of these out I think, so maybe it will be Dreamliner that can run on this ground, ahead of the ones from Angleterre, Cicero’s Gift and Volterra. But also, the one that is unbeaten yet this season, Roger Varian’s My Cloud is one to consider, while Christophe Ferland’s No Lunch is another that could win from my long list. Oui, so many possibles, but I will take my chance with Dreamliner.

Barriere Prix de Meautry (Group 3) 6.02
Cacofonix
We were giving you Cacofonix for the Moonlight Cloud here at Deauville three weeks ago, and he had the big ding dong battle with the favourite Daylight then. I thought that it was Daylight that had won that Listed race, before the photo showed Cacofonix had got his head in front, and this time they can be the pair to watch again. They both broke from the pack at the 300 metre pole, and it will be the same racing style non, with Maxime Guyon not wanting to go too early on Cacofonix. With this ground just the same, Ed Walker’s Balmoral Lady can have a big chance in this race, so these are the three I like for this Group 3. Cacofonix to get better again, with Daylight making him work hard for the win, while Balmoral Lady will like this soft ground and can chase the winner.