Group One Prix Maurice De Gheest Preview 2022

The win selection is the Richard Fahey trained Perfect Power who is arguably one of the best sprinters in the game at the moment and has a big chance of bouncing back to form in this race

He was a superb two year old winning four of his six events including the Group Two Norfolk Stakes at last year's royal meeting, his first Group One in France in the Prix Morny at Deauville and rounding off last term at Newmarket over 6f when taking the Middle Park Stakes.

This season his handler believed he would get further with the first part of his season setting him up for a crack at the 2000 Guineas.

He made his seasonal debut in the 7f Group Three Greenham Stakes at Newbury when seeing off a good field and not looking to have some stamina doubts.

However, stepped up to a mile he could only finish seventh of 15, not getting the trip but showing clear pace early on to make you think the drop back to 6f is where he is at his best.

The trainer was proved right to bring him back to his optimum trip last time out when going on to land the Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Looking to dominate the division he went into the Group One July Stakes at Newmarket as the hot favourite but ran a strange race and could only finish seventh.

He does need to bounce back but if believing that last run was a blip he can't be overlooked at a track he likes and handling the softer ground better than most could be his angle into the race.

At a slightly bigger is the Owen Burrows trained Minzaal who bounced back to form in a big way last time out and we believe that could be the kickstart he needed to go on and fulfill his potential.

Minzaal was electric as a juvenile, having landed the Group Two Gimcrack Stakes at York's Ebor meeting and that being the highlight of his season.

He looked to be a rising star for the Owen Burrows yard at the start of that season, having made his debut at Ascot in a classy maiden and finishing fourth.

He came on massively for that run and cruised to victory in a Class 5 event at Salisbury, winning by just under four lengths but never coming off the bridle.

In what looked a decent field of juveniles at York, he again travelled strongly into the six furlong event and when Crowley went for the whip he responded in kind and pulled away from the field to take his first black type contest of his career.

Next time out he was stepped up to a Group One field and although finishing third behind the Clive Cox trained Supremacy.

He found things slightly tougher last term running twice and although placing in both events, he should have been winning them.

Second on seasonal debut in the Listed Rous Stakes behind the veteran Tis Marvellous, he then finished in the Group One Champion Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October having his first run after a setback.

Back this season he was third on his first run back in the Group Two Duke Of York Stakes, but then blew out at Royal Ascot in the Group One Platinum Jubilee Stakes.

Burrows bought him back a month later and when last seen he went on to win impressively in the Group Three Hackwood, winning cosily in the end.

He is a very quick horse that has bundles of talent and can hopefully stay on an upward curve and not slip back into the mould of underwhelming.