A Sunday of Excellence on the Normandy Coast

For the penultimate Sunday of the summer season on the Normandy coast, before racing returns to Paris, Deauville will once again stage a top-class card. Four Group races will feature throughout the day, including two Group 1 contests, with Sumbe, the racing and breeding operation of businessman and breeder Nurlan Bizakov, partnering this major day of the meeting.

Sumbe Prix Morny: the first Group 1 for the two-year-olds

The Sumbe Prix Morny (Group 1), scheduled for 3:50pm, will be one of the highlights of the Deauville meeting. Always eagerly anticipated, it is the first French Group 1 of the season for the two-year-old generation.

No French-trained runner has won the race since Earthlight in 2019, and ending that drought will be no easy task. Of the eight runners, only two fillies will represent France: Kosuma and Drazinda. Both made a strong impression at Deauville earlier this month and will attempt to use their previous experience on the Normandy coast to their advantage against formidable international opposition.

Irish master trainer Aidan O’Brien will be represented by three runners, including Man’s Best Friend and Great Barrier Reef, two powerful colts who both come into the race on the back of Group-race victories. Senorita Bonita and Orthodox are also unbeaten and will provide further obstacles for the French challengers.

Diamond Necklace chasing a fifth consecutive Group 1

At 4:25pm, the Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet (Group 1), named in honour of two major figures in French racing, will bring together eleven runners, only four of whom are trained in France.

They will face seven British and Irish challengers, headed by Diamond Necklace, who will be bidding for a fifth consecutive Group 1 victory. Pink Panthera also has strong claims, having been beaten by just a short neck by Aidan O’Brien’s champion in the Prix de Diane (Group 1) in June.

The high-class Aventure will also have a major part to play, while Cankoura and Pierchic complete the French quartet taking on the strong Anglo-Irish contingent.

Two high-class races to start the day

Two Group 2 races will provide an exciting build-up to the afternoon’s main events, each offering a very different test.

At 1:58pm, the Sumbe Prix du Calvados is reserved for two-year-olds over a shorter distance, while at 2:33pm, the Sumbe Prix Kergorlay will put older horses to the test over a staying trip.

From speed to stamina, there will be something for everyone right from the start of the card!