Tag Archive for: Prix Morny

Venetian Sun shines against the colts in Prix Morny

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Karl Burke was left in awe of Venetian Sun’s brilliance as the filly saw off the colts to remain unbeaten in a star-studded Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville.

Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tony Bloom along with Ian McAleavy, the daughter of Starman was the only filly in the six-strong line-up, as she ventured to France in a bid to add to her Royal Ascot victory in the Albany Stakes and Duchess of Cambridge triumph at Newmarket.

American raider Outfielder set the early fractions seeking to give Wesley Ward a fourth win in the race, but as that rival checked out with a furlong to run, Clifford Lee was beginning to make his challenge aboard Venetian Sun who had travelled smoothly in the slipstream of Aidan O’Brien’s Coventry Stakes hero Gstaad.

Charlie Appleby’s Wise Approach was another to make late progress but Venetian Sun was ultimately too tough to crack for her high-class rivals as she showcased her electric turn of foot once again to raise her reputation to yet another level and give her big-race pilot a first winner in elite company.

It was the second time Burke has tasted success in the six-furlong Group One after Unfortunately landed the spoils in 2017 and his second big winner of the summer at Deauville after Fallen Angel’s Prix Rothschild success.

Burke said: “That was absolutely brilliant, unbelievable, she’s a superstar filly. I’ve been saying for a while she’s a special filly and I think she has proven that today.

“The whole race went exactly how we thought and hoped it would and Cliff got her in a lovely rhythm. She’s so relaxed and once she’s in behind she falls asleep and then she’s got that electric turn of foot.

“It’s a first Group One for Clifford, he probably should have won the German Derby last month but just missed out so I’m delighted for him as well.

Clifford Lee aboard Venetian Sun at Royal Ascot
Clifford Lee aboard Venetian Sun at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“I’ve been very lucky to train a lot of good fillies like Quiet Reflection, then Laurens and Fallen Angel, but at this stage of her career she would be way ahead of them.

“She’s doing things on the gallops at home that a two-year-old filly should not be doing and then she goes and keeps winning as well.”

Venetian Sun was made Coral’s 6-1 favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas on the back of her triumph in France and will now put Classic aspirations to the test when stepping up to seven furlongs in the Curragh’s Moyglare Stud Stakes on September 14 – a race the Spigot Lodge handler won with Fallen Angel two years ago.

Burke added: “Hopefully she can come out of this well and we can go to the Moyglare and then we will know if we can make a plan for running over seven furlongs or further for next year.

“I would be amazed if she doesn’t get the seven furlongs well and to be honest I’ve always thought she would be better over seven furlongs.”

Morny magic on the cards from Gstaad and company

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Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad is Aidan O’Brien’s chosen representative as he goes in search of a sixth victory in what looks a mouthwatering edition of the Sumbe Prix Morny on Sunday.

Johannesburg (2001), Blackbeard (2022) and Whistlejacket (2024) are the Ballydoyle handler’s last three winners of the juvenile Group One at Deauville and in Gstaad he saddles another leading contender.

The Starspangledbanner colt got the better of his top-class stablemate True Love when making a winning debut at Navan in May and followed up with a dominant victory at Royal Ascot the following month.

Having since missed a planned rematch with True Love in the Phoenix Stakes, Gstaad has been rerouted to France and O’Brien said: “All has been good with him so far after he had to miss the Phoenix.

“I don’t think the ground matters to him, it was beautiful ground at Deauville last week anyway so that would suit him.

“He’s been good and I think there’s improvement in him since the Coventry.”

Gstaad renews rivalry with the Clive Cox-trained Coppull, who was just over three lengths behind when third in the Coventry and has since impressed in winning the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.

Cox said: “We were thrilled with his success in the Richmond and he’s pleased me since.

“I think it was very much a step forward with more experience at Goodwood and I think the track was more able to showcase his ability.

“I’m very pleased he’s in great nick for Sunday, fingers crossed the ground will be fine and I’m very much looking forward to it.”

The only filly in the six-strong field is Venetian Sun, who since making a successful start to her career at Carlisle has landed the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket, beating Thursday’s Lowther Stakes winner Royal Fixation on the latter occasion.

Trainer Karl Burke said: “I’m looking forward to it. She’s travelled over there and as long as she gets in the paddock in the shape she left I’ll be very happy.

“She’s in great form and obviously her form is rock solid. Her form all along has been franked and apart from True Love, who blotted her copybook in the Phoenix the other day, she probably has the best juvenile filly form going so far this season.

“We think she goes there with a big chance and we’ll see how good she is.”

Further strength in depth is added by Charlie Appleby’s Wise Approach, who was second to O’Brien’s Charles Darwin in the Norfolk Stakes at the Royal meeting before routing the opposition in Newbury’s Rose Bowl in mid-July.

Speaking on the Godolphin website, Appleby said: “Wise Approach was impressive on his last performance. He needs to step up again in this company, but we feel he has the ability.

“The style of race and track at Deauville should suit and hopefully he gets a nice, sound surface. It is a strong field and a great race to participate in.”

Meanwhile, American raider Outfielder bids to provide Wesley Ward with his fourth Morny success, with jockey David Egan thrilled to be aboard the exciting youngster as retained rider for Amo Racing, who own the Speightstown colt together with former MLB star Jayson Werth and Ward himself.

“Yeah (I’m excited),” Egan said. “I sat on him the other morning, feels great and can’t wait.

“He was meant to race at Royal Ascot so it’s been a long time coming.

“He’s won a maiden so he’s got to step up big, but he’s the type of horse that Wesley knows what he’s doing, he’s prepared well, travelled over good, looks a picture and goes there in great form, so fingers crossed he’s good enough.”

There is one sole French-trained runner in the race with Henri-Francois Devin’s Imperial Me Cen.

Wesley Ward ‘excited’ to mount Morny challenge with Outfielder

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Outfielder is on his way to France with the aim of providing American trainer Wesley Ward with a fourth victory in the Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday week.

The Speightstown colt made a huge impression on his racecourse debut at Churchill Downs in May and looked tailor-made to add to Ward’s tally of a dozen winners at Royal Ascot.

However, he was ruled out of the the trip to Britain following a late setback and for the first time in a decade his trainer did not have a runner at the summer showpiece meeting in Berkshire.

But two months on, Ward is gunning for more Group One glory on European soil in a race he has previously won with No Nay Never (2013), Lady Aurelia (2016) and Campanelle (2020).

“Outfielder left Keeneland yesterday (Wednesday), so away we go,” he said.

“He’s flying right now, doing great and everything is wonderful. He’s had some excellent morning breezes and I’m so excited to get this guy going.

“He won bounding away on his only start. It was a little bit of a rush job to get him to Ascot and he told us he hadn’t quite recovered from his first effort to be ready for his next, but now he’s ready.”

No Nay Never, Lady Aurelia and Campanelle had all struck Royal Ascot gold before following up at Deauville and while Ward admits Outfielder lacks that high-level match practice, he feels there is some upside in the fact he will line up fresh.

“He doesn’t have quite the experience the others did because the others had two runs. They’d all run at home and run at Ascot,” the trainer added.

“This horse does have a bit better spacing in that all the others came back to America after Ascot and then had to travel again back to France, so he’s got better spacing from race to race.

“His last workout was an eye-opener at Keeneland. He worked in company with a horse called Longshoreman, who is out of Lady Pauline, who actually ran at Ascot in a race prior to the Royal meeting a few years ago and finished second.

“Longshoreman finished second on his debut at Keeneland and then bounded away by many lengths, just like Outfielder did, so when we worked them together last week I was kind of unsure what would happen, but Outfielder just ran away from him.

“He would relish fast ground, that’s for sure. It’s always a question mark at Deauville, but right now he’s doing great and we’re excited about running him.”

Ward is named as a part-owner of Outfielder alongside Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing operation and former professional baseball player Jayson Werth, who is set to make the trip to France.

Ward, who also confirmed Amo Racing’s retained rider David Egan is set to be on board, said: “Jayson is a wonderful guy and it’s great to have a great sportsman like him be involved in such a nice horse. We’re excited about that as well.”

Cox has Coppull booked for Prix Morny mission

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After lighting up a gloomy Goodwood with his Richmond Stakes triumph, it could be next stop Deauville for Coppull, as Clive Cox eyes a raid on the Sumbe Prix Morny on Sunday week.

Cox landed the Morny with Reckless Abandon in 2012 and a cross-Channel trip with the exciting son of Bated Breath would represent a “well-trodden path” for the handler, who also saddled Golden Horde to finish third in the French Group One after winning the Richmond.

“He’s in great form and we were very pleased that race took place before the rain fell at Goodwood,” said Cox, reflecting on his colt’s Group Two success on what was a miserable afternoon subsequently interrupted by heavy rainfall and lightning.

“I’ve been delighted with how he has come out of that and all being well he will head to the Prix Morny where he won’t be penalised for his success, it’s a well-trodden path.

“I would be very hopeful conditions remain dry and even though his sister has won on soft ground he has very much been at home on a quicker surface.”

Coppull’s two-length triumph over Aidan O’Brien’s Puerto Rico confirmed the promise of his fine third in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and it is the form of that contest – with recent Phoenix Stakes scorer Power Blue behind in fifth – which is convincing Cox he has a smart juvenile on his hands.

Connections all smiles - despite the weather!
Connections were all smiles despite the weather at Goodwood (PA)

“His form was boosted again at the weekend by the Amo horse who was behind us at Ascot and I see no reason to be anything but pleased with the progress our horse is making,” continued Cox.

“He took the step up to Group Two in his stride and that has vindicated a further step up at this stage.”

Among the Morny opposition is set to be the Wesley Ward-trained Outfielder, who is part-owned by MLB Hall of Famer Jayson Werth, who has recently played a starring roll in the Netflix series ‘Race for the Crown’.

Gstaad given Prix Morny option after missing Phoenix

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Gstaad could be rerouted to the Prix Morny at Deauville after bypassing Saturday’s Keeneland Phoenix Stakes.

Aidan O’Brien’s Coventry Stakes winner was due to clash with his fellow Royal Ascot-winning stablemate True Love in the Curragh Group One but the handler was not totally satisfied with Gstaad’s condition on Friday.

After overnight monitoring, O’Brien opted to declare Gstaad a non-runner and as long as the son of Starspangledbanner returns to form in the coming days, he could seek consolation in the French Group One on August 24.

O’Brien said: “He had no temperature and everything was right, but he didn’t eat up.

“Looking at that type of thing, he could have a temperature tomorrow and if he has a temperature tomorrow, every hour he has a temperature he needs a week off.

“If he doesn’t have a temperature and nothing is wrong in the next few days he’ll go to Deauville for the Morny.

“The original plan for the filly (True Love) was to go for the Morny. I don’t know why I left her in (the Phoenix Stakes) but there was something in my head and that’s what happened and how it is.

“Sometimes when you are looking at them every day it’s a feeling you get.”

Venetian Sun on course for Prix Morny before stepping up in trip

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Karl Burke is keen for Venetian Sun to have one final outing at six furlongs in the Prix Morny before she steps up in distance later in the campaign.

The unbeaten two-year-old followed in the footsteps of former Spigot Lodge inmate Dandalla when backing up Albany Stakes success in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and with the form of both races looking red-hot, connections are justified in aiming sky high with their talented daughter of Starman.

“She’s a very high-class filly and we’re aiming her at the Morny,” said Burke.

“If everything is as it should be at that stage going into the race – we’ll have a good opposition at the time – then she will probably go there.”

Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion supremo Tony Bloom along with Ian McAleavy, Venetian Sun is sure to move up in trip in a bid to replicate Burke’s Fallen Angel at the Curragh in the Moyglare Stud Stakes on September 14.

But before that, the exciting youngster is being prepared to head to Deauville on August 17, where she has the chance to join the Middleham handler’s 2017 winner Unfortunately on the Morny roll of honour.

“If we don’t go to the Morny we will go straight to the Moyglare and all being well if she does take in the Morny, she will then go on to the Curragh and the Moyglare over seven as well,” continued Burke.

“We’re very keen to step her up to seven, but the Morny is too big a prize to leave behind and it will be very interesting to see who stands their ground for the race and at the moment it’s what she is being trained for.

“She came out of Newmarket bouncing fresh and she has just started picking up her work and we’re ready to build her up for the Morny.”