>>34231307 Almanzor and Brametot Return After a Summer Break
Almanzor and Brametot Return After a Summer Break
  Above: Jean-Claude Rouget's Almanzor and Brametot Return After a Summer Break
International Race Fan

Almanzor and Brametot Return After a Summer Break

An absolutely stunning card at Deauville with last year’s champion 3-year-old Almanzor and this year’s champion French 3-year-old in action.

3.00 Deauville, Prix Gontaut-Biron Hong Kong Jockey Club

Bizarrely the triple group 1 winner Almanzor is getting weight from the likes of Garlingari and First Sitting, while he is rated about a stone clear on the ratings. If Almanzor is anywhere near peak fitness then he should win easily, though I wouldn’t want to take short odds coming off a lay-off of 10 months and with virus issues at the yard.

Outside of the favourite it’s looks fairly open, but it could pay to chance Garlingari each-way who looks to have the ground in his favour for the first time since he last won, in the group 2 Prix d’Harcourt at Chantilly, last April. That race was on heavy ground, and was an easy 3.5 length winner with some really good horses in behind like Silverwave, Karaktar and Siljans Saga. He has already finished in front of First Sitting, in the La Coupe Longines at Chantilly only a month ago on ground that was on the quick side for him. The only other runner capable of going close in this race looks to be Alignment, but Garlingari should be too good for him if the ground stays soft.

Recommended Bet
Garlingari, 10/1 each-way, William Hill

3.45 Deauville, Prix Guillaume d'Ornano Haras du Logis Saint-Germain

Brametot keeps delivering in his races and is looking for his fifth win on the bounce, after winning both of the French colt’s classics by a head on each occasion. He is coming off a summer break and if he’s fully wound-up for this then he should get his head in front where it matters, but I’ll chance Andre Fabre’s Soleil Marin at 33/1 each-way.

Soleil Marin ran up a sequence of 5 wins before flopping in the Prix du Jockey Club behind Brametot, he was badly bumped in the straight and was left to coast home, beaten 7 lengths. His best performances have come with cut in the ground so today’s forecast soft ground should help.

If the ground does dry out then it could pay to chance Martyn Meades Eminent, who finished fourth in the Epsom Derby. He is a best priced 13/2 but may go off at double odds on the PMU.

Recommended Bets
Soleil Marin, 33/1 each-way, William Hill, Stan James
Eminent, 8+ on PMU