France hosts top racing action

Noverre and Banks Hill fight for Prix Jacques Le Marois in France this weekend as closer to home Tamburlaine is in action at Newbury

Deauville’s Sunday showdown for the miling crown of Europe between Noverre and Banks Hill overshadows the Newbury card this weekend but the Berkshire course does lay on competitive sport, even if it is not out of the top drawer.

Richard Hannon has elected to sidestep the Prix Jacques Le Marois atDeauville with 2,000 Guineas runner-up Tamburlaine and stay at home for Newbury’s Stan James Hungerford Stakes.

Tamburlaine has disappointed since chasing home Golan at Newmarket and there must be doubts about his resolution. Frankie Dettori triesto get the best out of him here.

Marcus Tregoning’s Fath bids for his third conditions race in a month. Tregoning says that Fath has taken his most recent victory at Goodwood in his stride and is hoping the ground does not dry up too much.

Amanda Perrett’s Tillerman did not enjoy the smoothest of runs when third to Atavus in a thrilling four-way photo at Ascot. It is only a matter of time before he wins a race like this. Luca Cumani’s Arkadian Hero, third to Medicean and Swallow Flight at Royal Ascot is another who commands the greatest respect.

The clash of the generations in the Stan James Geoffrey Freer Stakes provides the chance to evaluate the strengths of last year’s St Leger hero Millenary and the prospects of his possible successor at Doncaster next month, Mr Combustible.

Millenary may not quite have lived up to expectations since his moment of glory at Doncaster last September, though he was far from disgraced in fifth place behind Galileo in the King George at Ascot last month.

Mr Combustible had ‘St Leger’ written all over him when he won the Chester Vase in the spring. He was then fourth behind Galileo in the Derby and beaten even farther by the great horse when sixth in the Irish Derby.

Across the channel

After Noverre won the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood Sheikh Mohammed, the driving force behind the Godolphin stable, said that his colt was the best miler in Europe.

Banks Hill, from the stable of France’s 14-times champion trainer Andre Fabre, was the most impressive winner at Royal Ascot, storming home in the Coronation Stakes.

If Banks Hill has progressed since then she should beat Noverre, although Godolphin’s racing manager Simon Crisford has wasted no time in stressing that Noverre is going from strength to strength.

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