Leading sprinter Advertise for trainer Martyn Meade is said to be in tip top shape ahead of his rematch with Ten Sovereigns in the Sprint Cup next month after he landed his latest Group one over in France.
The three year old has now established himself as one of the best sprinters in the division and has now got three black type victories to name after scoring at Deauville lat time out in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.
Before that as a two year old he landed his first Group One of his career over in Ireland when taking the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh and then on his second start of this season at Royal Ascot he won the Commonwealth Cup in one of his best performances to date.
The battle he will be recommencing in with Ten Sovereigns has picked up some coverage in the racing world after the pair of them facing off for most of the year, beating each other in different events but it all comes down to the Sprint Cup which acts as a decider.
Aidan O'Brien's three year old finished fourth behind Advertise at Royal Ascot but turned the tables at Newmarket in their ext meeting in the July Cup where Ten Sovereigns gave his best performance of the season.
The Ballydoyle colt last time out struggled when dropped down to five furlongs in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York after finding the pace set by some of the horses unbearable and overall go outclassed.
It proved he is naturally suited to six furlongs and the step back up to this trip should suit him in the Sprint Cup and it truly sets up a great spectacle between the two Group One winners.
(Credit Racing Post) Martyn Meade said: "He was in really good form in France and, if anything, he's flourished since then. He's in very good form and seems to have got better with racing.
"Apart from a pretty disastrous start to the season in the Guineas he has progressed with every race and I'm very happy with him."
The bookmakers have sided with Advertise for the upcoming contest making him the current 5/2 favourite with Ten Sovereigns not far behind at 4/1 but it could all change with declarations and how the ground checks out come the start.
As said, Ten Sovereigns got the better of Advertise last time out and on that form has three lengths to make up but heading into the contest Advertise has the stand out form so it makes for a remarkable dual.
"We can't get away from the fact he beat us at Newmarket, but if the race was run again it would be a different situation," Meade said.
"We didn't break well enough, we took a bit of a pull, which wasn't a great idea, and then had a lot of ground to make up.
"They ran Ten Sovereigns in a different way, which we didn't expect to happen, it was a well-thought-out plan. But if you go back to Ascot we beat him fair and square. We wouldn't let him give us the slip like that again."It depends how the race unfolds but we'll be aware of the Newmarket result and will try not to have a reproduction of that."