The Mandarin’s Sunday Selections for 11th August 2024

The Mandarin’s Sunday Selections from Deauville

Prix Francois Boutin (Group 3) 12.58
Madero
Christopher Head sends two out for this Group 3, with Madero the yard’s first string over the unbeaten Houquetot. It’s Maxime Guyon that gets the leg up on Madero, and this Lope De Vega colt wouldn’t have to improve much from his last run here over course and distance to take this. He was relegated to third in that Listed contest by the fast finishing Tiego The First, as Karl Burke’s Assertively was collared in the final strides, but can make amends here. Irish raider Cowardofthecounty will find this less of a task than the Coventry Stakes where he was seventh of twenty-two, so rates the main danger, while stablemate Houquetot will be trying to keep the unblemished record under Aurelien Lemaitre. Madero to progress to Pattern success

Prix Gontaut-Biron Hong Kong Jockey Club (Group 3) 1.33
Feed The Flame (nap)
Pascal Bary holds the key to the second Group 3 on Sunday’s Deauville card with Feed The Flame. Although he couldn’t reel in Dubai Honour in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last time out, these are far calmer waters and he’s the class act of this small field. Back in April, Feed The Flame finished a fine third in the Group 1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp over this trip, so this return to 10 furlongs should be just the ticket. Jean-Claude Rouget’s Al Hakeem is the obvious threat, but he’s only had the one run so far this term, and only ran once in 2023, but does have Group 2 winning form around here in the book. Feed The Flame to take this at a canter, with Al Hakeem chasing him home

Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (Group 1) 3.04
Charyn (nb)
A brilliant renewal in store as Inspiral looks to make the hat-trick in this Group 1. It’s fair to say that she’s not really fired yet this season, so the preference is for Roger Varian’s Charyn, who has returned a much improved model this year. Charyn already has form over Inspiral this term, from their clash in the Lockinge at Newbury, where as runner-up, Charyn had 10 lengths over her, and he proved there was yet more to come at the top table when landing the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. There are plenty of others for Silvestre De Sousa to keep tabs on, not least Richard Hannon’s Haatem, Simon & Ed Crisfords’ progressive Quddwah, and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner, Big Rock, but Charyn gets the nudge while Marhaba Ya Sanafi looks overpriced in the ante-post markets and is the each-way angle.

Prix Nureyev (Listed) 3.39
War Rooms
This looks a good opportunity for Owen Burrows’s War Rooms to regain the winning thread in this Listed race. This Churchill colt has been highly tried this year, lining up in the Dante at York and the King Edward VII at Ascot’s Royal meeting, both Group Two’s, so this looks a more realistic target. The brilliant Calandagan was the runaway winner of the Ascot race, but there’s nothing of that quality in this field, so Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Sons And Lovers rates the biggest danger. War Rooms to score dropped in grade, with Sons And Lovers to make him work for his money

Prix Lady O’Reilly (Group 3) (Fillies) 4.14
Mosaique
The last of the Black Type contests can go to Carlos Laffon-Parias with Mosaique. She’s been a model of consistency this year, and with her latest run a runners-up spot in the Group 2 Prix de Malleret at ParisLongchamp, she should be right on the money in this grade. Competition will be coming from Gala Real, last seen lining up in the Group 1 Prix de Diane, so she’s another that drops in grade to this Group 3 assignment. Mosaique has form over Tzarovskha from their clash in the Prix de Malleret, so this completes the shortlist, with Mosaique to score

The Mandarin