4 August 2019
Photo scoopdyga.com
The favourite of the LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr1), run Sunday at Deauville over the 1,300m/6 1/2 furlongs straight course, the English raider Advertise (Showcasing) stayed on to holf off an other British visitor Brando (Pivotal), who finished like a train to take the 2nd place, beaten a neck.
The winner's timing, 1'15''4, is just over one second worse than the course record. The fastest interval, 11''15, goes from 2 to 1 furlong out, just when Advertise took off and created a decisive gap.
The field of fifteen was split in three at the start, with King Malpic (King's Best) leading Space Blues (Dubawi), One Master (Fastnet Rock) and the titleholder Polydream (Oasis Dream) on the stands' side, the last two soon merging with the middle group led by Fox Champion (Kodiac).
Pretty Pollyanna (Oasis Dream) led on her side, further out, with Advertise tailing her. He came over about 300 yards out and passed by handily but he had to work to the end to resist Brando, winner of this race in 2017, and all the more deserving since his jockey, Tom Eaves, lost a stirrup at the decisive moment!
Space Blues held up well to take the third place about a length down, a head only in front of Spinning Memories (Arcano), who finished well again. Polydream finished only eighth with no real excuse, beaten by the fifth One Master, whom she couldn't reach.
Winner at 2 in the Phoenix Stakes (Gr1) at the Curragh, then in the Commonwealth Cup (Gr1) at the Royal Ascot, Advertise confirms that he is now one of the best sprinters in Europe in his generation behind Ten Sovereigns, who clearly beat him recently in the Darley July Cup (Gr1) over 6 furlongs.
Advertise was bought £ 60,000 yearling at Goffs in England. His only bad show to date is his fifteenth place for his seasonal comeback in the Two Thousand Guineas (Gr1), but Lanfranco Dettori explained on Equidia that at this time in the season, Martyn Meade's yard seemed to be under a cloud. Her dam Furbelow (Pivotal), bred by Cheveley Park Stud, won over 6 furlongs on Kempton's AWT, and she's a sister to a 5 furlongs Listed winner in the US. Her dam Red Tiara (MrProspector) couldn't win in four outings but had cost $ 900,000 yearling at Keeneland. And for good reason: Her dam Heart of Joy (Lypheor) had finished second in both the English and Irish One Thousand Guineas, then third of the Coronation Stakes (Gr1) and finally second in a US Group 1...