Published 17:36 08/08

The Prix Maurice de Gheest heads the card at Deauville this Sunday, with a Group 3 and two Listed races also providing plenty of interest.

The Group 3 Prix Daphnis (3.05) has attracted a field of 12 three-year-old colts and geldings over the round mile.

Three Godolphin-owned runners line up, with Komorebi representing André and Lavinia Fabre, while Wild Desert and Distant Storm are trained by Charlie Appleby. Of the trio, DISTANT STORM is particularly interesting, bringing the strongest form into the race, while the booking of Billy Loughnane adds further intrigue.

A winner of two of his four starts at two, all over 7f, the son of Night Of Thunder made his return after a seven-month absence in the 2,000 Guineas. He ran a big race to finish third behind two top-class performers in Bow Echo and Gstaad. Those two have since confirmed themselves as the leading three-year-olds over a mile in Europe, with Gstaad subsequently winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas ahead of Distant Storm who was a game runner-up.

The strength of that form is difficult to ignore. Distant Storm finished in front of several subsequent winners in these two races, including one at the highest level, with Thesecretadversary landing the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat here at Deauville last month, just a few weeks after his success in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Komorebi also brings Classic form to the table, but Distant Storm's profile looks considerably stronger. He has proved himself at the highest level against the best of his generation and now drops into Group 3 company.

If the pick of the Godolphin colts can reproduce anything close to the form he showed when placed in the English and Irish Guineas, he should be very difficult to beat in the 2026 edition of the Prix Daphnis.

The big race of the day is the Prix Maurice de Gheest (3.40) and it looks an absolute thriller. Unusually for a Group 1 at Deauville, the last three editions have been won by French-trained horses, with Sajir, Lazzat and King Gold all landing the prize.

And once again, it will take a serious horse to win this year’s renewal, with the field looking both open and highly competitive.

However, it is difficult to dislike STOLEN KISS, who produced a heartbreaking effort when finishing fourth in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, just behind an exceptionally strong trio of international challengers.

A winner of two valuable handicaps last year at Vichy and Saint-Cloud, both over 7f, the son of Chachnak took a significant step forward this season when landing a Class 1 over 6½f at Chantilly, beating Mise En Boîte by two lengths. He reopposes that one here.

Stolen Kiss then had his first experience on a straight course when stepping down to 5½f in a Listed race at Deauville on 7 April, where he got the better of Sajir by a head. Last year's Prix Maurice de Gheest winner had to settle for second again when the pair met for a second time, but over 6f on the straight course at Chantilly, with Stolen Kiss once again coming out on top in another Listed contest.

The Patrice Cottier-trained colt took another significant step forward in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, where the strength of the opposition was exceptional. Held up by Alexis Pouchin, perhaps a little too far back, Stolen Kiss produced a striking late run up the stands' side and was beaten only around a neck.

That was clearly a career-best performance, and the extra 100 yards this Sunday should be firmly in his favour. Drawn in stall 5, my only concern is that he could again find himself too far back when the race begins to develop. Traffic problems can emerge quickly on the stands' side of the Deauville straight course, as we saw notably with True Love in the Prix Jean Prat last month.

Stolen Kiss has now reached full maturity and has developed into a tough, highly competitive sprinter who is just as effective over 5½f as he is over 7f. He is better than ever this season, and a victory in this Group 1 would be a thoroughly deserved reward.

At around 4-1, he looks to offer very good value and, under these conditions, is quite difficult to oppose. 

My next column will be on Monday 10 August for action from La Teste and Clairefonataine, two meetings shown live on Sky Sports Racing.