While French horses have excelled in black-type competition since the start of the year, notably at Gr.1 level, the task will prove more complicated this Sunday when just three local runners will be pitted against a particularly solid coalition from overseas in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

Ballydoyle sprang a surprise on Thursday when supplementing Little Big Bear at a cost of €27,000, and sprang another on Friday morning when declaring him forfeit. That said, the mission is no less difficult for the home team.

Highest-rated horse in the field, Art Power, recent Gr.2 winner at the Curragh and fourth in the July Cup a week earlier, should find this a slightly less arduous test and will be very much under the spotlight. Of the overseas contingent, Easterby’s 6 year-old looks the pick of the bunch. 

Brad The Brief, who has been struggling to replicate last year’s form, ridden by David Egan, and Archie Watson’s Saint Lawrence, under Hollie Doyle, are both hardened individuals and also look competitively well in. 

Andrew Balding has called on the services of Cristian Demuro for the only four year-old in the race, Sandrine, who has been struggling to replicate her 2022 form.

Karl Burke, who is no stranger to success on French soil, sends out Cold Case and Spycatcher, the latter most recently winning a Deauville Gr.3 by three lengths, and both look competitively well in. 

On the domestic side, Nicolas Caullery saddles Fort Payne whose best performance has been to land a Longchamp Gr.3, and King Gold (third that day) who subsequently went on to win his first Gr.3, aged six. Beaten by this pair in their last two races, Egot has notched up a brace of Gr.3s but still has more to find.

It must be noted that Sunday’s ground will be very soft at best, and the possibility of a surprise is not to be excluded.