Farewell Blessing

Deauville winds up its August festival on Sunday with a fascinating card which also features the G3 Prix de Meautry and last year's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest hero Signs of Blessing (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Three runs back, Isabelle Corbani's star sprinter looked better than ever when giving Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) 11 pounds and a two-length beating in the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges over five furlongs on soft ground here on May 13, and it may be that the ground was too quick when he was eighth in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot on June 20. Only fifth attempting to defend his title in the latest renewal of the Maurice de Gheest at this venue on Aug. 6, he has a question to answer now in a decent renewal.

Also bidding to bounce back from a disappointing effort in that Group 1 feature is Alain Jathiere, Ballylinch Stud and Zalim Bifov's Fas (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who was last of 13 on his comeback from a break having impressed when beating the subsequent G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Precieuse (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) by 3 1/2 lengths in Chantilly's G3 Prix Sigy over six furlongs on Apr. 9. It is interesting that Roger Varian is pitching the unbeaten Lahore (Elusive Quality) in at the deep end after his defeat of the subsequent winner Quench Dolly (GB) (Hellvelyn {GB}) in a Windsor maiden over this trip on July 2. His trainer said he thinks Prince A A Faisal's blueblood will hold his own. “This is a steep rise in class for Lahore, but he has done nothing wrong so far and we will get a better gauge of his ability here,” he explained. “The track and ground will suit him.”