Europe
Venetian Sun too tough in the Morny
Lining up in a stellar renewal of Deauville's G1 Sumbe Prix Morny as the sole filly, Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's Venetian Sun (Starman) did what she has been doing so well to her own sex in 2025 and got the job done. Tracking the strong pace travelling kindly under Clifford Lee, the 29-10 second favourite edged ahead passing the furlong pole and after outstaying Wise Approach (Mehmas) found the line a short neck ahead of the 11-10 favourite Gstaad (Starspangledbanner).
“She does everything so relaxed and has a temperament to die for–she was asleep when I saddled her and only pricked her ears going into the main paddock, which gave me some hope she was waking up,” trainer Karl Burke said of the winner, who now has the complete Group 1/2/3 set having captured the Albany and Duchess of Cambridge.
“I've been saying for a little while that she's a special filly, and she's proven that today. She has so much ability, but I was very worried about the ground, it's as quick as I've seen it at Deauville and I've been coming here for a few years,” he added.
“She'll be better on easier ground and over an extra furlong, so all being well, the Moyglare will be next. I would be amazed if she doesn't get the seven furlongs well, and to be honest, I've always thought she would be better over seven.”
This renewal, widely considered the best in recent times, was partly shaped by the slow break of Outfielder (Speightstown) after the US raider had been removed from the stalls and re-loaded, and the keenness of Coppull (Bated Breath) alongside him on the front end. The first three home were all able to draft and race economically, with the winner ticking off successive sub-11-second splits so readily and key to her success was the fact that she was quicker and stronger than the two colts that challenged her late on.
Burke is in no doubt as to the winner's status. “I've had some good fillies like Quiet Reflection, Laurens and Fallen Angel, but at this stage she's way ahead of them,” he said.
“She's doing things on the gallops at home that a two-year-old filly should not be doing, and then she goes and keeps winning as well. We don't yet know her ceiling. I think the Moyglare will tell us if she's a Classic filly.”
Aidan O'Brien is looking at seven furlongs for the Coventry winner now. “He ran a great race, we're delighted. He hadn't raced for quite a while, so we're thrilled,” he said. “Looking ahead, the National Stakes is the plan, and the seven furlongs will suit him perfectly.”
Charlie Appleby said of Wise Approach, “His preference is for quick ground, and I'm sure he would go to the Middle Park Stakes if conditions were suitable. If not, we might contemplate the Breeders' Cup.”
Venetian Sun's dual Listed-placed dam Johara (Iffraaj), who is also responsible for Mehmas's Listed Roses Stakes third Sir Yoshi, is a granddaughter of the G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner and G1 Prix Saint-Alary third Summertime Legacy (Darshaan). She produced the Group 1 winners Mandaean (Manduro) and Wavering (Refuse To Bend) and New Approach's G1 Fillies' Mile third Winters Moon, who is in turn the dam of the Middle Park-winning half-siblings Shadow Of Light and Earthlight. Johara's yearling filly by Kodiac is due to sell at the upcoming Tattersalls October Book 1, while she also has a filly foal by Cotai Glory.
Le Havre's Quisisana wins the Jean Romanet
Lightly campaigned for a 5-year-old, Haras de la Perelle's homebred Quisisana put yet another feather in the cap of the Stud and her high-achieving late sire Le Havre when taking Sunday's G1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville. Coming into the 10-furlong contest off a clear-cut win in Chantilly's Listed Prix de la Pepiniere, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained 7-1 shot travelled smoothly for Christophe Soumillon and when given the command, seized the advantage approaching the furlong marker.
At the line, she had 1.75l to spare over Survie (Churchill {Ire}), who was a nose in front of Grand Stars (Sea The Stars) for a French one-two-three. Godolphin's 11-10 favourite Cinderella's Dream (Shamardal) ran flat in fourth, just ahead of Ballydoyle's unlucky Bedtime Story (Frankel).
The winner, who was denied the chance to run in this 12 months ago having been injured after her wide-margin Listed Prix Pawneese success, could have lofty targets in the autumn, but her trainer will first have to navigate her notorious fragility.
“I have always adored this mare and was sure to win this race with her last year, but unfortunately, she had another problem,” Graffard explained. “I have spent a lot of time on the phone giving bad news to her owner Mr Winter, but he has always supported me and kept faith in my judgement when I asked him to keep her in training. This is a great reward and I'm delighted for him and the Stud.”
“She has a lot of class, will appreciate soft ground and will stay a mile and a half, but the worry with her is keeping her sound,” he added. “I just learned that this race is part of the Arc Series program-she is not entered, but with this win she is eligible to run if we accept the free entry within two weeks so we will discuss that. She is also in the Opera. My good geldings can't run in the Arc, so she could be the one to represent the stable.”
Nicolas Clement said of Survie, “She ran like a champion! She has a huge heart and gives everything. Unfortunately, her draw worked against us, and we were a little too far back early on. We'll discuss it with her connections, as several options are on the table. We have the Royallieu, the Arc or the Opera, as the Vermeille is in only two weeks. I'm disappointed the program is structured like this, with the Pomone and the Romanet so close to the Vermeille.”
Gerald Mosse was similarly delighted with Grand Stars. “She's a mare I really love–after all, she gave me my first win and she continues to confirm that she has real talent,” he said. “She's the best horse in my stable, and ideally, I think the next target should be the Opera. For the end of her career, I have a particular race in mind, the E. P. Taylor Stakes in Canada. It's a race I've won twice as a jockey, I know the profile well, and I think it would suit her perfectly.”
Quisisana's unraced dam Quamoclit (Sea The Stars), who has also produced the Listed-placed Qitura (Muhtathir), is out of Quezon Sun (Monsun), who was also Listed-placed. She was responsible for Muhtathir's Cadran hero Mille Et Mille and the Listed scorer Quanzhou (Dubawi), who in turn produced the dam of the multiple Listed scorer Hooking (Lope De Vega). A granddaughter of the Deutschland-Preis and Preis der Diana-placed Quezon City (Law Society), Quamoclit's yearling filly is by No Nay Never.
Ghaiyyath's My Highness oozes class in The Calvados
Godolphin and Andre Fabre have a new star on their hands if the evidence of Sunday's G2 Sumbe Prix du Calvados at Deauville is anything to go by. Lining up with confidence behind her, the 11-10 favourite My Highness (Ghaiyyath), who had won a brace of conditions events, went through the seven-furlong juvenile staging post with a degree of comfort despite the strong pace set by the Princess Margaret winner Fitzella (Too Darn Hot).
Swamping that British challenger at the furlong pole, the homebred drew away under Cristian Demuro to score by 1.25l as they finished comfortably clear of the rest. Godolphin representative Louise Benard revealed the team's regard for the winner afterwards. “This was a test to confirm what we think about her–you can be confident beforehand, but the only judge is the finish line, and she showed her class,” she said.
“She is adaptable and has improved with every race and has never had a hard time,” she added of the winner, who had scored at Saint-Cloud and at this venue having narrowly lost out on debut over six furlongs to the subsequent G3 Prix Six Perfections winner Green Spirit (Kingman). “Hopefully we can expect more, and if necessary she could have one more run before the Prix Marcel Boussac, but Mr Fabre will decide that.”
My Highness is out of the G3 Ballyogan Stakes and G3 Chartwell Stakes winner Majestic Queen (Kheleyf), whose previous best was the German Listed scorer Maria Amalia (Dubawi). From the family of the G3 Orchid Stakes winner Dress Rehearsal (Galileo), the dual G2 Prix du Gros-Chene winner Muthmir (Invincible Spirit) and the Group 1-placed half-siblings My Prospero (Iffraaj), My Astra (Lope De Vega) and My Oberon by Ghaiyyath's sire Dubawi, her yearling is a full sister to the winner.
