There’s Group One flat racing in France today with Deauville hosting the French 2000 Guineas over its straight mile.
Whilst it’s been bone dry for the start of the British flat season, it’s very soft in France, and that hurts a few chances.
Aidan O’Brien won this last year with The Gurkha, but of his two runners this time stable jockey Ryan Moore opts for the fairly-exposed Peace Envoy over Orderofthegarter, who is shortest in the betting.
Moore says O’Brien pointed him that way but only rates his mount an each-way chance, so I’m not interested, whilst Orderofthegarter would surely be ridden by Moore if expected to win.
It’s interesting the media think William Haggas’s Rivet wants soft ground given he’s done most his winning on good, but he has definitely trained on at three after a Group One-winning two-year-old season, after going close in last month’s Craven Stakes at Newmarket.
I like the look of 7/1 but much prefer the profile of the favourite, BRAMETOT for Jean-Claude Rouget.
7/2 does seem tight but there are shades of Rouget’s Classic winners Almanzor and Le Cressionnaire in the way he races from off the pace, and he has form on soft.
The standout bit of form is his sole run this season where he totally missed the break and surrendered a handful of lengths to the opposition before cruising past them with a classy turn of foot.
He was in a different league that day and his jockey never used the whip, winning under hands and heels to suggest there was plenty left in the tank.
Other than the tardy start it was the perfect trial and he looks the one to be on.
Of the rest you’d have to fancy National Defense as well as Rivet, but we can’t back them all.
1pt win Brametot @7/2, 15:15 Deauville, Sunday
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