Marie-Francoise’s Sunday Selections for 6th July 2025

Marie-Francoise’s Sunday Selections from Deauville

Prix Roland de Chambure (Listed) 12.58
Nighttime
I think that I will be on Christopher Head’s Nighttime for the Prix Roland de Chambure. To me, he was very, very impressive the last time at Saint-Cloud, easily pulling away under the hands and the heels of Maxime Guyon, and seems to be learning his craft very well. Karl Burke is a regular visitor to France, so his Elusive Butterfly will be coming on for the run at Ripon, where Sam James did not push him hard, but still was finishing well over that 6 furlong race, and will be with more to offer here. Nighttime I think will win this, with Elusive Butterfly and Viva La Skids the ones to make it a good race.

Singapore Pools Prix de Ris-Orangis (Group 3) 1.33
Tribalist (nap)
This Prix de Ris-Orangis can be won by Tribalist, who is looking for his first win at Deauville in five tries. Maybe this is not the course for him, but he won the Group 2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud in May, and this is very strong form to have in a Group 3, so I think he can break the duck that I think you call it. Oui, even dropping back to this 6 furlongs should not be too much difficult, as he was leading from the front all the way in the Prix du Muguet, and I can expect that Beauvatier will be better for his first run at ParisLongchamp, and push Tribalist hard in the finish. The English raiders Toyotomi and Spycatcher both have chances, but I will stay with Tribalist, and hope he wins for me.

Darley Prix Amandine (Listed) (Fillies) 3.05
Honeyflower
For me, this race is between Epson Blue Cen and Honeyflower, and I will take my chance with Honeyflower. Although Epson Blue Cen has been running in some good races this season, I think I saw something I liked in HoneyFlower’s finish at ParisLongchamp the last time, and I will take the chance on her, this Kingman filly. She has Tony Piccone back to ride her, and he will know where to place her in the race, but I also fear Francis-Henri Graffard’s Kerkila, who was very good behind Cacofonix in the Prix de Nanterre the last time. These will be my three, and it is Honeyflower that can win for me.

Prix Jean Prat (Group 1) (No Geldings) 3.40
Cosmic Year (nb)
This is a very, very good race, the Prix Jean Prat, but I think my heart is saying Cosmic Year, while my head thinks maybe Charlie Appleby will have the favourite, Shadow Of Light. On the ratings, Shadow Of Light would be with the most points, but non, I cannot forget Cosmic Year’s run in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, where he was the closest to the brilliant Field Of Gold. Of course, now it is Colin Keane to be on Cosmic Year, which gives the Juddmonte colt a very impressive list of riders in just his four starts, with Colin, Ryan Moore & Oisin Murphy all taking their turn. Christopher Head’s Maranoa Charlie won here in April, so has to be on my list, and of course, Silius, who is also here was second in that Group 3, and Aidan O’Brien’s The Lion In Winter changes his trip very much to go over this short 7 furlongs. I am not sure that The Lion In Winter has trained on from two, and after just four runs, maybe Cosmic Year has not yet finished getting better, so I think Cosmic Year will beat Shadow Of Light.

Prix Goldikova (Listed) (Fillies & Mares) 4.23
Bright Thunder
I think maybe that the last of the Black Type races can be going to Karl Burke’s Bright Thunder. She was very good the last time when chasing home John & Thady Gosden’s Spiritual in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom, so this looks like the race with less on her plate, but my worry is the ground if it is too soft. In that case, I would be looking for Markus Munch’s Euboa, who will not mind this track, and then Francis-Henri Graffard’s Pinta, who is the one going down the right road and can be in the finish. Bright Thunder I think will be hard to beat if the ground is okay, but Pinta has more in her to come, so is my worry.