French Hold the Aces in Prix Maurice de Gheest

Brits often take the spoils in Group 1 sprint up Deauville straight but are quiet in 2025

- Michael Lee

Visitors from across the British Channel are usually the top picks in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest (1,300m) at Deauville, but it is the home team that spearheads the charge this year. Defending champion Lazzat leads by example, and may go back-to-back for his Qatari all-conquering Wathnan Racing owners and French trainer Jerome Reynier.

A luckless second in the Golden Eagle (1,500m) in Rosehill, Sydney in November brought an end to a purple patch of six wins in a row at home in France.

However, the Territories four-year-old put in a lacklustre turn at his next overseas foray in Hong Kong in December – ninth to Voyage Bubble in the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Mile (1,600m).

Reynier tipped him out after such a taxing campaign, confident his charge had not showcased his true ability to the world. The Marseille conditioner was repaid handsomely for his perseverance, closing the unfinished business at one of racing's most coveted platforms.