Deauville's G1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest was not mentioned in the original plan for Caravaggio (Scat Daddy), but following his first defeat in the G1 July Cup, Susan Magnier's grey is in Normandy on Sunday with a reputation to restore. On the face of it, his fourth placing behind Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in that July 15 Newmarket feature was disappointing, especially given that he had previously beaten the winner in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 23. He was only a neck in front of his fifth-placed stablemate Intelligence Cross (War Front) there and looked as if this extra half-furlong would suit, but he has to arrest a growing tendency to break slowly.
Last year's winner Signs of Blessing (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) looks to have better rivals to overcome this time, with the 2016 runner-up Donjuan Triumphant (Ire) (Dream Ahead) instead sent to handicap company to contest Saturday's Stewards Cup. His seasonal return was an outstanding effort, giving Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) 11 pounds and a two-length beating in the five-furlong G3 Prix de Saint-Georges on testing ground here May 13 and he can be forgiven his subsequent eighth in the G1 King's Stand S. Unable to get to the lead on ground that was too quick in that June 20 Royal Ascot contest, Isabelle Corbani's bay will be much happier back at this track that he loves.
From Britain is Brando (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who captured Newmarket's G3 Abernant S. over six furlong Apr. 20 before breaking a blood vessel when last of 12 in the in the May 17 G3 Duke of York S., returned to edge Caravaggio for third in the July Cup and he is entitled to improve off that comeback.
Godolphin's unbeaten 4-year-old filly Rosa Imperial (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) also enters the equation from the Andre Fabre stable after progressive performances in Maisons-Laffitte's Listed Prix Hampton over five furlongs June 10 and the six-furlong G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis June 28. The operation's Lisa Jane-Graffard commented, “Rosa Imperial is unbeaten in three starts but this is a big step up to G1 company and she is coming up against some very good sprinters. She has done nothing wrong in her races so far and is an improving filly. Hopefully, this race will tell us a bit more about her.”
Pia Brandt's stable could be celebrating a first group 1 success with Fas (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who beat 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 when last seen Apr. 9, while Wesley Ward supplies Bound For Nowhere (The Factor) who bids to build on his fourth in the Commonwealth Cup.
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