After her demolition job at Royal Ascot, Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) is in Deauville on Sunday to make the colts work in the G1 Prix Morny. Her performance in the G2 Queen Mary S. over five furlongs June 15 will be hard to replicate, but trainer Wesley Ward is expecting her to be hard to pass. “Lady Aurelia hasn't missed a day since Ascot and since we upped her schedule, every bit of work she's done has been better than the last,” he said. “I was delighted to see how well she was doing after I arrived in France during the week. She went on the grass on Thursday and she seemed to take to it really well. I think there's some showers forecast, but I don't expect the ground to be as soft as it was at Ascot. I've looked the field over and it looks to be a competitive race, which is what you'd expect. But our filly is doing really great–I don't think she could be doing better–and I'm confident we've got a really big chance. I think she is just one of those special fillies that don't come around too often.”
Although there are only four rivals including Al Johrah (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) who was seven-lengths second in the Queen Mary, it is an up-to-scratch renewal with the impressive G2 Prix Robert Papin winner Tis Marvellous (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) heading the opposition. His 2 1/2-length dismissal of Al Johrah in that 5 1/2-furlong Maisons-Laffitte contest July 24 leaves him with something to find with the American challenger, but trainer Clive Cox sees him as in the mould of his past Papin-Morny hero Reckless Abandon (GB) (Exchange Rate). “We're very happy with him and very much looking forward to it,” he said. “We have full respect for the American filly, but I thought our horse was very exciting in the Papin. He has a great temperament and is very adaptable ground-wise, which is a big plus when you're travelling horses at this time of year.” Aidan O'Brien relies on the G3 Anglesey S. winner Peace Envoy (Fr) (Power {GB}), who has experience on his side and put up a career-best performance in that extended six-furlong Curragh contest July 16. “Peace Envoy is progressing well, he's improving with each race and we're hoping he's progressing still,” his trainer said.
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