Karl Burke’s British raider Crown Relic could finish only fifth as Afandy led from pillar to post in the Prix Djebel at Deauville.
Crown Relic had looked an exciting prospect in winning his first two starts on the all-weather at Wolverhampton and was sent to France to test his Classic credentials in this recognised trial for the French 2000 Guineas, the Poule d’Essai des Poulains.
But after travelling strongly under Shane Foley for much of the Group Three contest, the three-year-old’s effort petered out, with Jean-Claude Rouget’s Afandy – winner of his first two starts before being beaten in Listed company last time out – finding plenty out in front to beat the hot favourite Samangan by a length and three-quarters.
Winning jockey Cristian Demuro told Sky Sports Racing: “I was thinking he was a good horse two runs ago because he won in pretty good style in Cagnes-Sur-Mer. Last time the ground was very heavy and he’s got a lot of speed, so he was doing too much in heavy ground and was beaten.
“I was not sure today, but he proved he’s a good horse. He was in front with his own pace and he showed a good turn of foot.”
As a gelding Afandy is ineligible for the Classics, but Demuro feels he could step up to Group One level at some stage this season, adding: “It would be logical to run in the Prix Jean Prat in the summer time here, but it is a long time between this race and the Jean Prat, so we will have to find another race on a straight track like today, which I think he liked.”
The three-year-old fillies got their chance to shine in the Group Three Prix Imprudence, in which Burke saddled the prolific Half Sovereign, who after being bought for just 12,000 guineas as a yearling won five of her seven juvenile starts and was subsequently sold to Lady Bamford for 2.6million euro.
She was well fancied for her seasonal debut but proved disappointing, finishing a well beaten 10th behind the shock 50-1 winner Showna, with Andre Fabre’s market leader My Highness second and the Kevin Ryan-trained Isle Of Fernandez a promising third.
