Caroline’s & Marie-Francoise’s Sunday Selections for 16th August 2026

Caroline’s Sunday Selections from the Curragh, Jaysella’s Pontefract Pick & Marie-Francoise’s Deauville Selections

The Curragh

Newbridge Silverware Royal Whip Stakes (Group 3) 4.25
A Boy Named Susie
Well, this should be no more than a warm up for some bigger dates in the diary for A Boy Named Susie, so looks to me very hard to oppose. This Starspangledbanner colt was second behind Constitution River at Sandown Park the last day, and Donnacha O’Brien’s three year old is destined for more Group Ones later this season, so surely running in this Group 3 contest is just to keep the engine ticking over. For all that, Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle do seem to have the Midas touch just now, so Omni Man must be given due respect, but giving away 7lbs has to be a big ask, and I would expect this race to be all about this pair. A Boy Named Susie to win as expected, but not much of a return from those ever cautious bookmakers!

William Hill Irish EBF Juvenile Sprint Stakes (Listed) 4.55
New Bond Street
I’m thinking that New Bond Street would be the one to follow back here at the Curragh, after a fine third in a pretty warm Maiden last Sunday. Leading at the furlong pole, the line just didn’t arrive in time for Paddy Twomey’s Havana Grey filly, so this drop back to 5 furlongs looks the right move, while Oisin Murphy is employed to win some Black Type at just the third time of asking. Of course, Armor Supreme knows this track well, so must be on your list, and with a impressive ninth of twenty-seven in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot the last day, in a blanket finish of the also-rans after Aidan O’Brien’s Victorious swept to victory, I do think that’s a very strong line of form. Kate McGivern’s Grayrobin is an out and out speedster, so expect plenty of pace from the off under Chris Hayes, but I’m of the opinion that New Bond Street will benefit from that scorching pace and come through to win.

Pontefract

EBF Sky Bet Club Flying Fillies’ Stakes (Listed) (Fillies & Mares) 4.45
Royal Fixation
So, I reckon this Flying Fillies’ Stakes is all down to Richard Hughes’ America Queen and Karl Burke’s Royal Fixation. Hum ha, la di dah, a bit of a toss of the coin this!! Of course, they last clashed in the Summer Stakes at York, where neither could lay a finger on Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda, but there weren’t much between them in that Fillies’ & Mares’ Group 3, so with an ease in class, they must be the main protagonists, right? Hum ha, la di dah, I’m chancing my luck on Royal Fixation, but a reversed forecast does look a tempter! Just saying!!

Deauville

The Aga Khan Studs Prix Lady O’Reilly (Prix Minerve) (Group 3) 12.58
Calasita (nap)
Oh yes, what a very good contest it is to start this Sunday at Deauville, with Francis-Henri Graffard’s Calasita, Charlie Appleby’s Romantic Symphony and Andre Fabre’s Dispatches all here. Oui, all of these three must make the claim to win this Group 3non? but for me it must be Calasita to win this, though of course Dispatches has the very good form from the Prix de Malleret at Longchamp, so can also get much support. Plus, it can be for me that Colin Keane, who must be on the Juddmonte horses as their retained rider, has not so much got all the luck in France so far, maybe when hitting the front early is the exposee to the fast finisher, just like Behrayna in the Prix de Malleret. Charlie Appleby’s Romantic Symphony is adding more to this very very good race, but I must be on the brilliant Mickael Barzalona to win this with Calasita.

The Aga Khan Studs Prix Francois Boutin (Group 3) 1.33
Avec Toi
Oh yes, I think it must be Christopher Head’s Avec Toi to win this Francois Boutin, which will make me feel better for being ahead of my choice, Queen Of The Day last month. I was with all of the confidence that Queen Of The Day could win that Roland de Chambure here at Deauville, over this course and distance, but Avec Toi got the first run early on and Queen Of The Day was left with too much to make up. It can be Charlie Appleby’s Jassas and Francis-Henri Graffard’s Zakhan that will be making this the very good sprint, but Avec Toi will win I believe under Pierre-Charles Boudot.

The Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois (Group 1) 2.50
Thesecretadversary (nb)
Oohlala, what a race this is the Jacques le Marois, and of course the big feature this Sunday. Maintenant, it is such a very very good international race too, with the best of Ireland, Angleterre & France all in the queue to win this Group One of great prestige. From Angleterre, William Haggas’s More Thunder and Karl Burke’s Zeus Olympios have the very good credentials non? while I do so like Aidan O’Brien’s Precise from Ireland, and of course, Francis-Henri Graffard is with Rayif, the winner of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp in May. Oh yes, this must be regardez the very best of a Group One at the Meeting de Deauville Barriere, but is it the other Irish colt that I most like, Thesecretadversary. He was so very good in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, and Caroline had told us all after the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket that she thought this to be the best colt in his Classic season at 7 furlongs, and Mon Dieu, she was very right when he won the Prix Jean Prat here at Deauville last month. I must believe that Thesecretadversary can be just as good over the mile, with Christophe Soumillon a big plus for me, so he can win ahead of the filly Precise and the raider from Angleterre, More Thunder.