The race with our favourite name the Prix Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois will be run Sunday in Deauville.
Also on the card are 3 Group 3s two of which have woefully small fields. Firstly the Prix François Boutin is over 1400m for the 2yos and 5 will run so looking like a win to Houqietot 5/6 for Head-Lemaitre or Scandalo 4/1 Delcher-Sancjez – Soumillon. The first of these is by Wooton Bassett, the other by Siyouni.
The Prix Gontaut-Brion Hong Kong Jockey Club is over 2000m and again only 5 runners with the most likely being either Feed The Flame 6/4 Bary-Pouchin or Al Hakeem 7/4 Rouget-Demuro.
The Prix Lady O'Reilly is for 3yo fillies over 2500m with a decent field of 10. Gaia Real is on 2/1 for A&G Botti with Soumillon in the irons, Mosaique on 11/4 for Laffon-Parias – Guyon and our roughie here is Siyandra, racing in the Aga Khan's colours for Graffard – Pasqier on 10/1.
The Marois as usual is a mix of locals and raiders. Raider Charyn is on top on 5/2 for Varian – de Souza but we like the locals' Metropolitan on 6/1 for Baratti- Pouchin and we will add a spot of value with Marhaba Ya Sanafi on 12/1 Schütz – Barzalona.
The day will honour retiring jockeys Olivier Peslier and Gerald Mosse. And also in the news is that next season J-C Rouget and Jerome Reynier will join forces in their training stables.