3 minute read
Colt claims Group One prize at Deauville
Frankie Dettori steered Advertise to a third top-level success in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
Winner of the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot last month, the Showcasing colt was last seen filling the runner-up spot behind Aidan O'Brien's Ten Sovereigns in the July Cup at Newmarket three weeks ago.
With the all-conquering Italian on his back once more, Advertise was the 15-8 favourite to get back on the winning trail in France and travelled strongly for much of the six-and-a-half-furlong journey.
Martyn Meade's stable star hit the front racing inside the final furlong and while the Kevin Ryan-trained Brando finished strongly in the middle of the track, Advertise clung on grimly to continue Dettori's incredible run of Group One success.
Meade told PA: "I'm absolutely over the moon. We were quite confident coming here, but you can never be over-confident as so much can go wrong.
"It was a slightly different race to the July Cup. There was plenty of pace on, which was a big help, and he saw it out really well.
"He's won three Group Ones now in Ireland, England and France, which is a great achievement."
Paddy Power cut Advertise to 11-4 from 5-1 for the Sprint Cup at Haydock on September 7.
Considering future targets, Meade added: "You've got Haydock, Champions Day at Ascot and the seven-furlong race on Arc day (Prix de la Foret).
"We'll take our time and think very carefully as we want to make sure he finishes on a high – I wouldn't like him to get beaten at this stage.
"We also want to make sure we don't overdo it as you can easily get tempted into getting greedy."
Dettori told Sky Sports Racing: "He's a lovely horse. At the two-furlong marker I actually had to take a pull because he kind of idles a bit in front. He showed a good turn of foot and he was idling a bit, but when he felt Brando coming he took off again.
"He's a tough horse who doesn't know how to run a bad race."
Charlie Appleby's Space Blues rounded off a British one-two-three, with the William Haggas-trained One Master back in fifth and Michael Bell's Pretty Pollyanna in sixth.
Last year's winner Polydream was last early on and never threatened to land a telling blow, while the disappointment of the race was James Tate's Invincible Army, who beat just two rivals home.