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Deauville preview: "I’m very hopeful of a really solid performance”
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Sat 22 Aug 2026
Exciting juveniles Orthodox and Senorita Bonita are joined by superstar filly Diamond Necklace on what promises to be another stellar afternoon at Deauville on Sunday.
The Prix Morny and the Prix Jean et Louis Romanet are the final two Group One events of the summer season at the Normandy venue and both races have attracted top-class fields.
The raiding party appears particularly strong in the Morny, with Clive Cox’s runaway Norfolk winner Orthodox taking on Aidan O’Brien’s pair of Coventry winner Great Barrier Reef and Richmond scorer Man’s Best Friend, as well as Simon and Ed Crisford’s promising filly Senorita Bonita.
A minor setback meant Orthodox missed a planned visit to France for the Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly last month, but Cox is confident his charge is back firing on all cylinders ahead of his step up to the highest level.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him back on track after such an impressive display in the Norfolk,” said the Lambourn handler.
“I feel like physically he’s been developing all through the spring and summer, and he’s only a baby.
“So I think it was probably the best thing we didn’t go to the Papin, but I’m thrilled with the way he’s done and I’m very hopeful of a really solid performance.”
Ryan Moore has interestingly sided with Man’s Best Friend over Great Barrier Reef, who has had a bout of ringworm since his Royal Ascot triumph. Wayne Lordan rides the latter.
O’Brien said of Great Barrier Reef: “His in good form. Obviously it’s a while since he ran, but he has form on soft ground.
“We were delighted with Man’s Best Friend in the Richmond and he came out of it well, but he has never ran on soft ground so we’ll see.
“He got the trip well at Goodwood, so it will be interesting.”
Senorita Bonita found O’Brien’s Victorious too strong in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, but was an impressive winner of the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket and that form received a timely boost on Thursday when the runner-up, Libertango, struck gold in the Lowther at York.
Chris Wall, racing manager for owners Victorious Forever, said: “She’s earned the right to be there. There’s never an easy Group One, so you know you’re going to be need to be on your best game to try to win it, but she’s in good form and has galloped well, so we’ll hope for the best.
“She goes there with a chance. As ever you need the race to be run right and the gaps to come at the right time and everything to go right, but we’re hopeful of a good effort from her and if it’s to be her day then it will be.”
He added: “It’s a tough race. I think we’ve yet to see an outstanding two-year-old, but there’s plenty around that bring a good level of form to these races and it’s the time of the year now where you find out which ones are the best ones.”
The travelling band may not have things all their own way, with Andre and Lavinia Fabre’s unbeaten filly Kosuma perhaps the pick of the home team.
There is no doubting who is the attraction in the Romanet, with O’Brien’s Diamond Necklace putting her unbeaten record and huge reputation on the line against 10 rivals.
The St Mark’s Basilica filly has already won the French 1000 Guineas, the French Oaks and the Nassau Stakes this season and will widely expected to add to her Group One tally this weekend.
O’Brien said: “She’s well and we decided to stay at a mile and a quarter. It looks like the ground is soft over there, but she has form in soft ground and she’s in good form.”
Joseph O’Brien sends his Irish Oaks fourth Rebel Moon, while Christophe Ferland saddles his top-class older mare Aventure.
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