7f Qatar Prix Jean Prat (Group 1)
Deauville showcases the Prix Jean Prat on Sunday with Pinatubo bidding to give his three-year-old campaign a win. He should relish the drop in trip to 7f having placed in both the 2,000 Guineas and the St. James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot over a mile.
Buick arguably kicked for home too early on Pinatubo at the Royal Meeting over a trip that he probably doesn’t quite see out and he’s a warm odds-on favourite.
But this race looks fairly deep with the likes of Irish 2,000 Guineas third Lope Y Fernandes at odds of 22/1 and the French 1,000 Guineas favourite Tropbeau at 14’s.
Alson looks a big danger for the home challengers on his second start for Andre Fabre. He finished third to Victor Ludorum on his comeback run and has already got proven Group 1 credentials with a strong run on Arc day last season.
Although MOLATHAM hasn’t mixed it at Group 1 level yet during his fledgling career, he has put up some very strong performances against horses that have. Molatham won the Scotsman Listed stakes last September beating Wichita as a juvenile.
Molatham then appeared to run a little flat in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes on soft ground at Newmarket in October, finishing fourth behind top class colts Military March and Al Suhail.
But Molatham’s seasonal reappearance in the Jersey Stakes showed good improvement. He got the better of Aiden O’Brien’s, Monarch Of Egypt and who has a good line through some strong Irish juvenile form.
Molatham should have plenty more to come with his relaxed-racing style proving to be an asset helping him to be very strong at the finish in his races.
If there is a possible chink in Pinatubo’s armour it’s his finish and I fancy Molatham to run him close at nice each-way odds of 15/2.
1pt each-way Molatham @15/2, 15:25 Deauville, Sunday (1-3 places, 1/5 odds)
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