Trio chasing breakthrough G1 in Prix Jean Prat

Naval Crown (pictured), Midtown and Erasmo look to join some illustrious company with victory in the G1 Prix Jean Prat over seven furlongs at Deauville, France, on Sunday, 11 July.

Five Godolphin winners of the prestigious contest for three-year-olds have included subsequent Dubai World Cup scorers Almutawakel and Thunder Snow as well as outstanding juvenile Pinatubo, who took the spoils 12 months ago.

Naval Crown (Kevin Manning) has already acquitted himself well at G1 level with a fourth in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May. The Dubawi colt has won or placed on all nine of his other starts for Charlie Appleby, including when going down by a length and a quarter to stablemate Creative Force in the seven-furlong G3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Charlie Appleby said: “Naval Crown came out of the Jersey Stakes in good order and seven furlongs is an ideal trip for him. He has a decent draw in stall one and some rock solid form behind him so far this season. He ticks a lot of boxes and we feel that he will be the one to beat.”

Midtown (Mickael Barzalona), who is also by Dubawi, makes his seasonal return for Andre Fabre following an unbeaten juvenile campaign that yielded two dominant wins on heavy ground in November, headed by a two-length success in Chantilly’s Listed Prix Herod.

Andre Fabre is also responsible for Erasmo (Hugo Besnier), who steps up to G1 level after bravely winning the mile G3 Prix Paul de Moussac at Chantilly on Sunday, 20 June – one of four wins for the son of Oasis Dream.

Lisa-Jane Graffard of Godolphin said: “Midtown has always been held in very high regard and his two-year-old form is looking stronger and stronger. Coming into a G1 on his seasonal return is obviously a very tough ask but he is a horse that Andre Fabre thinks an awful lot of. We hope this can be a springboard to an exciting second half of the season.

“Erasmo is a very game horse who has run consistently well this year. He comes here on the back of a decent win in a G3 which is traditionally a prep race for the Prix Jean Prat. We weren’t quite sure that we were going to run here immediately after his last start but he has bounced out of the race in flying form and deserves his place in the field.”

On the same card, Ideal Beauty (Mickael Barzalona) aims to capture a second G3 sprint this year in the Prix de Ris-Orangis over six furlongs.

The Andre Fabre-trained three-year-old showed an impressive turn of foot when winning the five-furlong G3 Prix de Saint-Georges at Longchamp in May and was eighth over the same trip in the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene at Chantilly on her latest appearance.

Lisa-Jane Graffard of Godolphin added: “Ideal Beauty has once again got conditions in her favour and we are hoping that she can confirm her level of form. She is a filly that doesn’t owe us anything and we are already delighted that she is a G3 winner.”