Group One Prix Maurice De Gheest Guide 2022

After showing some promise in his opening two seasons for Jeremy Noseda, Garrus then moved into the care of Charles Hills where he initially struggled to find his feet.

After being gelded however he improved significantly and scored a conditions race last year before putting in sold solid runs in handicaps, listed and group races. However, he was well outclassed in group 1 events. He did manage to notch a group 3 here at Deauville smartly before again finding higher races out of his grasp.

He struggled for form again this season in group 1 and group 2 races but recently bounced back to score again here at Deauville. He seems to have a fondness for this course but hasn’t been competitive at this level previously.

The natively French trained Amilcar shaped like a smart enough two year old to win two of his 3 outings. Seemingly an injury kept him off the course for a while as he had a mammoth 660 day break from racing.

After needing his comeback run he then went on to win his next outing before scoring a handicap smartly. Winning a listed race at the end of the year, he’s since been running over in England but has failed to really get involved in a listed race or conditions race.

However, he did manage to win a group 3 last time out when scoring a group 3 at Longchamp smartly over 7 furlongs. Moving back in trip isn’t an obvious moved but he is unexposed as a sprinter.

Six year old German trained Namos has found some decent success in his homeland having scored a quarter of group 3 wins over 6 to 7 furlongs.

Put more to the test last year, he failed to really get competitive in listed races and a trip over to France proved fruitless. He was then well beaten in the Diamond Jubilee to be last home of the 12 runners.

He’s struggling to regain the winning thread and this season found himself well beaten in listed company on return before being beat by Amilcar in a group 3 over 7 furlongs last time out. Lacking the quality needed for this race.

A talented 5 year old mare, Highfield Princess slowly climbed the handicap ranks last season to find herself contesting group races well.

Coming 2nd to Space Blues over 7 furlongs at York and shaping well enough in the British Champion Sprint Stakes last year, she looked to be ready for a strong season sprinting this campaign. Despite taking a few runs to warm to the task, she scored smartly in a conditions race at Newcastle before smartly winning a group 2 at York.

Last seen coming 6th in the Platinum Jubilee she ran well enough but looked well outclassed by the established group 1 types. Likely to find herself up against it again here.

Despite only winning once as a juvenile and struggling to find his feet over a mile last term, Naval Crown has really established himself as a top sprinter for the Charlie Appleby yard.

Despite having won a listed race over a mile and a group 2 over 7 furlongs in Meydan, this season he’s been re-purposed as an out and out sprinter and has looked lethal. Scoring the Platinum Jubilee at Royal Ascot by a neck from stablemate Creative Force, he was last seen running another top class race behind Alcohol Free in the July Cup to be 2nd to the filly.

He’s got top group 1 form in the books over 6 furlongs and looks the one to beat here on paper.

As a son of Mehmas, Minzaal showed a highly precocious nature as a 2 year old to score a novice and a group 2 in his juvenile campaign.

Only seen twice on the track last year as a 3 year old, he went close in a listed race behind Tis Marvellous before a solid outing to be 3rd in the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot.

His season has been hit and miss this year. Being beaten into 3rd on his reappearance in a group 2, he then looked well outclassed in group 1 company in the Platinum Jubilee to finish midfield.

Last seen scoring his group win in a group 3 event at Newbury, he’ll have to step up majorly to get involved in this very deep looking group 1 event.

Anthony and Sam Freedman bring there 4 year old colt Artorious here over from Australia. He’s been highly successful down under for connections having scored a group 1 sprint as a 2 year old.

Upped in trip for his 3 year old season he failed to really get truly competitive but did shape better when dropped in trip. Going winless for quite a while, the decision was made to bring him over to England for Platinum Jubilee where he ran a solid race to be 3rd behind the Godolphin pair in 1st and 2nd.

Last seen coming 3rd in the July Cup, he again shaped well and was only narrowly behind Naval Crown. He’s struggled to get by that rival on his last two outings and will likely be coming home behind him again here.

A lightly raced 3 year old, Miramar was tested at listed level as a 2 year old following his first win but failed to really get competitive at a higher level.

He failed to score on his seasonal return this year but with a run under his belt scored a group 3 event over 5.5 furlongs smartly. Sent for the Commonwealth cup off the back of that, he ran a fine race at massive odds to be 5th despite a 125/1 SP.

He was well outclassed by Perfect Power at Ascot and will likely find this group 1 event too stiff for his talents.

Richard Fahey’s star 3 year old burst onto the scene with a spellbinding juvenile season. Scoring his maiden in fine fashion he then went on to win the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Rounding out the season with a group 2 win here at Deauville and a group 1 win at Newmarket, he looked set for the 2000 Guineas this year.

However, after winning the Greenham Stakes he failed to stay the mile in the Guineas but bounced back with a marvellous win in the Commonwealth cup to notch another royal Ascot win.

Last seen struggling against older horses, he was taken off his feet in the July Cup and never really managed to get involved. He’ll have to improve upon that to be competitive here.

Coming all the way over from Japan for this, King Hermes showed some smart form last year as a 2 year old to comfortably win a group 2 over 7 furlongs in Tokyo.

This season however he’s failed to reach anywhere near the same kind of heights. Coming 3rd in a group 3 on return before coming 6th in a group 1 over a mile.

Stepping back down in trip when last seen in the July Cup, he only managed to beat 2 rivals home and will need to show stark improvement to be having a say here.

A French native in the shape of Accakaba, this 3 year old made herself one to keep tabs on last season with some smart performances. Winning her first four outings, she gained listed and group 2 success smartly over 6 and 7 furlongs.

Unable to hang in group 1 company on her last outing she still ran well enough to be 4th. She hasn’t looked the same force as a 3 year old however and has been beaten on all three starts of this campaign.

Coming 3rd in a group 3 race over 7 furlongs on comeback, she has been kept over 7 furlongs all season but hasn’t managed to be placed in any outing. Connections are hoping a drop in trip will revitalise here but she’ll need to show plenty of improvement to get the better of some top sprinting types here.

Currently near the foot of the betting, Kingentleman has grown into his racing this season. Having won a low level event over a mile back in January, he then handled a step back in trip to score over 6 furlongs.

Moved up in grade off the back of that, connections experimented with distance but were finding their charge struggled to get competitive in higher classes of races. Until finding his feet in May to score a group 3 over 6 furlongs at Chantilly against his own age group.

He’s not been seen since that so will have to be fighting fit and ready to take on the older horses to have any kind of chance.

Clive Cox’s three year old is improving at a rapid rate of knots and recently tasted listed success here at Deauville over 6 furlongs.

After winning twice last year as a juvenile, he then moved into handicap ranks at the start of this season. Running well in defeat a few times, he put it all together smartly under Ryan Moore to easily score a big pot at York.

Moving into listed company at this venue last time out saw him to even better effect and it would be no surprise to see him continue his progression. But, he’ll have to prove he can take on older horses.