Advertise appeals most for the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest over an extended 6f at Deauville this Sunday (14:47).
Martyn Meade’s stable star is a dual Group 1 sprint winner and connections have had this race in mind for some time.
This three-year-old Showcasing colt was progressive as a juvenile over 6f. Advertise won on debut at Newbury, then ran well at Group 2 level chasing home Calyx in the Coventry Stakes.
He resumed winning ways in the July Stakes at Newmarket, then plundered the Group 1 Phoenix at The Curragh.
Although then beaten when stepped up to 7f for the Dewhurst at Newmarket by Too Darn Hot, Advertise was far from disgraced.
This defeat came to last season’s champion juvenile colt, so it still left the impression of more to come.
While Advertise didn’t stay the Rowley Mile in the 2000 Guineas on reappearance, dropping him back into sprints has proved inspired.
He went one better at Royal Ascot this year with a taking 1 1/2 lengths success in the Commonwealth Cup.
Advertise stayed on strongly from Forever In Dreams and the fourth, fifth and seventh horses home have all won since.
Khaadem landed the ultra-competitive Stewards’ Cup at Glorious Goodwood earlier this weekend. That advertises the form nicely – pun intended.
Ten Sovereigns turned the tables on Advertise last time out in the Group 1 July Cup, but he still stuck to the task well in second.
The extra half-a-furlong is sure to suit and regular jockey Frankie Dettori is again aboard. At 100/30 with William Hill, Advertise is a worthy favourite and the one to be on here this year.
Polydream feared most in Prix Maurice de Gheest
Freddy Head has already trained two multiple winners of the Prix Maurice de Gheest in Marchand d’Or and Moonlight Cloud.
Polydream bids to follow in their hoofprints after landing the spoils last year. This four-year-old Oasis Dream filly beat the mighty Laurens here as a juvenile and improved on that 12 months ago.
After losing her first two Group 1 races, Polydream warmed up for this last season with victory in a Group 3 at Longchamp.
She ran on to get up close home and beat James Garfield by half-a-length here. Regular pilot Maxime Guyon gave Polydream a perfectly timed ride.
Replicating that form has proved beyond her since, yet all four subsequent outings have come over further.
After disappointing on Arc weekend when down the field behind the re-opposing One Master, Polydream took time to come the boil this season.
She resumed winning ways at the third attempt – again in a 7f Group 3 at Longchamp. Polydream is a perfect three from three at Deauville, however, and her track record commands respect.
Another bold bid from a yard that’s had seven previous Prix Maurice de Gheest winners in the last 13 years looks assured.
Polydream is thus feared most and a 4/1 chance with Betfred to retain her crown at this happy hunting ground.
Space Blues and Pretty Pollyanna each-way alternatives
There’s plenty of other British interest in the 15-runner field. The aforementioned One Master and Invincible Army are skinny each-way value though, so Space Blues who gets weight from both appeals instead.
One of two in the race for Godolphin, the Charlie Appleby trained three-year-old Dubawi colt has run some big races in defeat.
After defying joint-top weight in a York handicap during the Dante Festival, Space Blues landed a Listed contest at Epsom.
He then went down fighting by a head to Space Traveller in the Group 3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot. Space Blues posted a career best last time out when chasing home Too Darn Hot here.
The winner advertised that Prix Jean Prat form when following-up in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood this week.
Space Blues has nothing to fear from those in-behind – Fox Champion, Munitions and Namos – who re-oppose here. At 10/1 with Coral, who pay an extra place, he looks overpriced to make the frame again.
Pretty Pollyanna gets weight all-round, meanwhile, and was a Group 1 course winner as a juvenile.
Trained by Michael Bell, this half-sister to Polydream progressed last season. After a Group 2 victory at the Newmarket July Festival, connections sent Pretty Pollyanna here for the Prix Morny.
It was her finest hour to date as she fended off the challenge of Signora Cabello and scored by three-quarters of a length.
Pretty Pollyanna was far from disgraced when fourth to Fairyland back at Newmarket or third in the Fillies’ Mile. The English 2000 Guineas runner-up also ran fourth in the July Cup last time out.
She could place off bottom weight here and is 10/1 with Paddy Power. They also pay an extra place on the Prix Maurice de Gheest.