Another Sunday, another Group One at Deauville, north France, this time the turn of the milers in the Prix Jacques Le Marois.
2000 Guineas and St James’ Palace Stakes winner Galileo Gold is turned out fairly quickly after a narrow defeat by The Gurkha in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
He wouldn’t be running if he wasn’t right, but the short gap between the races is a minor concern if you’re willing to take the 2/1 on offer.
Many will believe the improving Ribchester, who flashed home to finish third in the Sussex and perhaps would have won with a few more strides, can improve past Hugo Palmer’s stable star, but at 5/2 he looks short.
Both named horses have huge chances and represent the three-year-olds -and this year’s crop have generally dominated the big races they’ve contested against their elders – but last year’s winner ESOTERIQUE looks a huge price at 16/1 to follow up.
She really ran away with it last year and her best form, though absent so far this season, would give the favourites plenty to think about here, so I think she’s big value as an each-way bet providing the rain stays away.
The forecast is very kind and the ground should be perfect, so everything is right for her to run to her best – and if she does I suspect it’ll be good enough.
She also ran very recently but I’m encouraged by her exploits last season, where she ran in Group Ones here on back-to-back weekends and won the second, this race, impressively.
The other French filly, Ervedya, is also very easy to back at around the 10/1 mark given she’s a three-time Group One winner who goes on any ground.
She’s largely done most her winning against her own sex though, and the same comment can’t be made of Esoterique so the latter gets the vote as the value bet.
0.75pt each-way Esoterique @16/1, 14:55 Deauville, Sunday (1,2,3, 1/5 odds)
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