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The Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday is the sole opportunity for three-year-olds to taste Group 1 success over seven furlongs and provides the last chance for three-year-olds to bag top-level victory over the shorter trip before having to take on their elder rivals.
Recent winners that have made a successful trip across the Channel include the likes of Pinatubo and Too Darn Hot. Both colts were top-class two-year-olds who had won the Dewhurst as juveniles but failed to win at three until tackling the Jean Prat. John Gosden's Too Darn Hot finished runner-up in the Dante and Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh before filling the third spot in the St James's Palace, while Pinatubo finished third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket before finishing second in the St James's Palace Stakes.
It's unsurprising that Chaldean is a warm favourite to regain the winning thread at Deauville this afternoon following his supplementary entry. Like the aforementioned pair of Too Darn Hot and Pinatubo, Chaldean also won the Dewhurst at two but unlike that duo, he already has a Group 1 three-year-old success to his name having tasted Classic glory at Newmarket back in May. The Andrew Balding-trained colt bumped into the high-class Paddington when runner-up in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and that form took a timely boost yesterday with Aidan O'Brien's star three-year-old going onto Eclipse fame at Sandown. With Frankie Dettori having to suffer a spell on the sidelines following his nine-day ban, the jet-setting Oisin Murphy will make the journey back across the North Atlantic following Grade 1 success at Belmont last night to take the ride.
English representatives look to hold a strong hand at Deauville this afternoon and once again it could be Hi Royal that gives Chaldean most to think about. Kevin Ryan's charge is yet to taste victory at the top level but got within a length and a quarter of Chaldean when runner-up in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and lost absolutely nothing in defeat once more when third behind Paddington in the Irish equivalent just a few weeks later. The Kevin Ryan-trained runner has made the running on both outings this season and gives the impression this drop back to seven furlongs on Deauville's straight flat track will be right up his street.
Aidan O'Brien landed the contest last year with his filly Tenebrism and the master of Ballydoyle looks to be attempting a similar trick this season with Meditate dropping back in trip. Both fillies finished fourth in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on their previous outings and although facing Chaldean looks no easy task, it's tough to rule out the Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore combination in any top-level contest at the moment.
Craven Stakes winner Indestructible could also be suited by dropping back in distance although he has work to do to reverse placings with Chaldean while Charyn, who was staying on nicely when third in the St James's Place Stakes needs to confirm that a drop in trip is what he truly desires.
Breizh Sky may prove the best of the home contingent having backed up a solid third-place finish in the French 2000 Guineas with victory in the Prix Paul de Moussac over this trip at Longchamp. That said, the Andre Fabre-trained Belbek did finish ahead of Breizh Sky when landing the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at two, but he was fifth behind that rival in the aforementioned French 2000 Guineas and looks to have work to do in order to reverse the placings.
WIN: CHALDEAN
EACH-WAY: INDESTRUCTIBLE