Deauville hosts a pair of late-summer Group Ones
Sunday’s card at Deauville brings the summer’s Group One programme at the Normandy venue to a close, with the Prix Morny and the Prix Jean et Louis Romanet headlining an afternoon that has attracted several of the season’s leading performers from Britain, Ireland and France.
Quality juveniles clash in the Prix Morny
The six-furlong Prix Morny has drawn a strong international line-up. Among the most prominent British hopes is Clive Cox’s Orthodox, a standout in the Norfolk Stakes earlier in the campaign. Orthodox was unable to travel for the Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly after a minor setback, but connections have reported him back in good order as he steps up to Group One company.
Aidan O’Brien supplies two Coventry and Richmond Stakes winners in Great Barrier Reef and Man’s Best Friend respectively. Ryan Moore is scheduled to partner Man’s Best Friend, with Wayne Lordan booked to ride Great Barrier Reef, who has been troubled by a bout of ringworm since his Royal Ascot success.
Senorita Bonita represents the Simon and Ed Crisford stable. The filly finished behind O’Brien’s Victorious in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot and later landed the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket. That Newmarket form was given a timely boost when Libertango, the runner-up to Senorita Bonita, won the Lowther Stakes at York.
Home interest is also well represented. Among the French contenders, Andre and Lavinia Fabre’s unbeaten filly Kosuma is prominent on paper and will carry the hopes of the local raiding party.
Unbeaten Diamond Necklace heads Romanet
The Prix Jean et Louis Romanet is expected to be dominated in the market by Aidan O’Brien’s Diamond Necklace. The St Mark’s Basilica filly arrives unbeaten and with an outstanding record for the season, having taken the French 1,000 Guineas, the French Oaks and the Nassau Stakes. Connections have opted to keep her at a mile and a quarter for this assignment, and reports indicate she handles softer ground should the going be on the easy side at Deauville.
Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien will be represented by Rebel Moon, who finished fourth in the Irish Oaks, while Christophe Ferland runs the experienced older mare Aventure, another familiar name at the highest level.
Picking form lines in late-summer Group Ones
Both contests provide a late-season test for juveniles and older horses seeking to confirm their positions among the leading performers of 2026. The Morny frequently highlights which two-year-olds are likely to progress among the sprinting ranks; the presence of several pattern-winning juveniles from Britain and Ireland makes it a particularly informative heat.
Meanwhile, the Romanet will determine whether Diamond Necklace can maintain her unbeaten sequence over middle distances against a mixture of proven older fillies and mares and a handful of younger challengers stepping up in grade.
Hands-on preparation and international interest
Teams travelling from the UK and Ireland have emphasised careful preparation. Orthodox’s connections elected to miss the Papin with the view that the colt needed time to complete his physical development, while Senorita Bonita’s handlers point to her recent Newmarket success and the subsequent Lowther result as reasons for optimism. O’Brien’s widespread representation across both races underlines the international significance of Sunday’s card.
With two Group Ones to decide, Deauville’s final big day of the summer promises a valuable snapshot of the season’s leading performers and potential stars for next year’s major meetings.
