Godolphin launch a powerful attack on Sunday's Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville when Territories is joined by Toormore and Belardo in the 10-runner line-up that will provide the weekend's feature at the popular Normandy track.
Godolphin launch a powerful attack on Sunday's Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville when Territories is joined by Toormore and Belardo in the 10-runner line-up that will provide the weekend's feature at the popular Normandy track.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and his Godolphin stable have happy memories of this Group One contest, run on the straight mile course, having won the race a total of five times.
Polish Precedent won in Sheikh Mohammed's maroon and white colours in 1989, but heading a quartet of wins in the Godolphin royal blue, champion Dubai Millennium relished conditions to score comfortably in 1999.
Then followed Godolphin's Muhtathir (2000), Dubawi (2005) and Librettist in 2006. This year, the stable have three outstanding contenders, saddled by three different trainers.
Logical preference is for Territories, the 2000 Guineas runner-up, but trainer Andre Fabre is keeping an eye on the weather. Fabre, who has won the race five times, is very keen to run the colt, but not if the ground deteriorates significantly from the present reading of 'soft.'
Territories has proved a revelation this season, having finished a fine second to Gleneagles in the 2000 Guineas and then bouncing back to win the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly. In the latter, he displayed a brilliant turn-of-foot, coming from last at the top of the straight.
He is the winner of three races and has never been out of the first three in seven starts. Regular rider Mickael Barzalona, who knows him so well, will again be in the saddle and he has an excellent winning chance.
Toormore, a hardy colt trained by Richard Hannon, comes here off the back of a noteworthy victory in the seven-furlong Lennox Stakes at Goodwood.
He has run a total of seven times at the one mile distance, with his most significant performance being a win in Newmarket's Craven Stakes, defeating subsequent multiple Group One winner The Grey Gatsby.
Possibly the horse who will best benefit if the ground is hit by further rain -- 14mm is forecast beforehand -- is Belardo, trained for Godolphin by Roger Varian.
This colt has finished eighth in the Greenham Stakes, fourth in the Irish 2000 Guineas and seventh in the Sussex Stakes, but his form is a lot better than it looks on paper. Ground is always an issue, and finally finding going that will be to his liking certainly brings him in with a very big chance.
His Dewhurst win late last year is still vivid in the memory bank, and a reproduction of that could see him figure in the finish.
Fabre has supplemented the well-regarded Vadamos, while the race sponsors are keen on their colt Karakontie. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum is represented by Estidhkaar.
Saturday's Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury is an ideal platform on which Romsdal can return to winning ways.
His run for third in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot for Godolphin was outstanding and he should prove too good for his opposition.
Meanwhile, Godolphin will be well represented in Chicago in the Arlington Million by the John Gosden-trained Maverick Wave, who will be running for the first time since winning the Huxley Stakes at Chester in May. William Buick is to ride.
