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George Boughey will be looking to enhance the fine record of British handlers in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano when his Missed The Cut lines up in the Deauville Group Two on Monday.
The first prize has gone to a British-trained runner in the past four years, but son of Quality road is the sole UK representative in the six-runner field for the 10-furlong contest this time around, as the colt bids for a four-timer and a follow up to his impressive Royal Ascot success in the Golden Gates Stakes.
He looked every inch a Group horse masquerading as a handicapper on that occasion and now gets the chance to test his mettle in Pattern company in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Jean-Claude Rouget saddles two in the race, Hauran and Al Hakeem, with the latter the mount of Cristian Demuro and the likely favourite for the race. Twice a winner at Chantilly this term, the Siyouni colt was last seen finishing fourth behind the high-class Vademi in the Prix du Jockey Club in June.
Andre Fabre is also double handed with the hat-trick-seeking True Testament and three-time winner Junko, who was third to My Prospero in the Prix Eugene Adam most recently. Vagalame completes the sextet going to post.
Boughey also has a strong hand in the supporting Prix de Lieurey, with the battle-hardened Oscula going in search of Group Three honours.
The Glorious Goodwood winner is no stranger to overseas ventures and is a course winner having landed the Prix Six Perfections as a Juvenile. Kept busy of late, she is set for one last outing before being freshened up to return at the backend of the campaign.
"We're hopeful of a big run. She travelled over on Saturday and George is very happy with her," said Nick Bradley, managing director of owners Nick Bradley Racing.
"It's a Group Three and she carries a penalty, but it's a lesser penalty then what she had at Haydock and I think she would have won at Haydock without the 5lb penalty.
"This will be her final run before we give her a little break and think about the Prix de la Foret and the Breeders' Cup later in the year."
Samahram was an unlucky loser when third and denied a clear run behind Oscula in the Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood and is likely to be thereabouts representing Francis-Henri Graffard, while there is further UK interest in the race in the form of Roger Varian's impressive Newcastle winner Sound Angela.
She was a six-and-a-half-length victor when bringing up a hat-trick off a mark of 84 at Gosforth Park and now makes the switch to running in Group company for the first time.
"She's in good form, she's been progressive, but lacks a bit of experience and we'll find a bit more about her," said Varian.
"It's an open-looking race, but she needs a step forward and she's running on a different surface now, not the all-weather. But she's in good form and training well, so we're hopeful of a good run."
Others to note among the 12-strong line-up include Prix de Bagatelle scorer By All Means and Jessica Harrington's Brownstown Stakes runner-up Nectaris.
