Mill Stream could return to Deauville later in the month following his impressive victory at the track in the Prix Moonlight Cloud.
Trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam and owned by leisure tycoon Peter Harris, the son of Gleneagles caught the eye as a two-year-old when running among some hot company and has continued to perform with credit in his outings this term.
Arriving in France on the back of a near-miss behind the prolific Quinault in a competitive handicap at Newmarket’s July Festival, Mill Stream took the return to Pattern company in his stride in the hands of Marco Ghiani, romping away to a three-and-a-half-length success in the six-furlong Listed contest.
He has now teed up a return to the Normandy coast on August 27 for the Group Three Prix de Meautry, where the three-year-old will face his elders for the first time.
“It was very very nice to see,” said Chapple-Hyam.
“He’s had it tough carrying top-weights and giving away a stone to the much-improved handicapper of Stuart Williams recently, so I thought it was worth going over to Deauville.
“I think it was the last Listed race for three-year-olds in England or France so that was why we were keen to get out there.
“It was great for Mr Harris, who has put so much into racing over the past two seasons with me and it is nice to hit the jackpot with this boy.
“He could run in the Prix de Meautry. That gives him three weeks and is a Group Three and that is when you go into taking on older horses.”
It was Mill Stream’s first victory since scoring on debut at Doncaster in July 2022, but rather than regard the Deauville triumph as a career best, Chapple-Hyam believes this is just a step towards better things having showed what he is capable of when fourth behind Chaldean in last year’s Acomb Stakes.
She continued: “Even though he was only fourth in the Acomb that was a good run – it was behind the Guineas winner. But it is always good for them to get their head in front.
“We’ll make the entry for Prix de Meautry, it’s a Group Three and a nice stepping stone.”
Such is the confidence Mill Stream could develop into a highly-proficient sprinter, that stepping stone could be pointed towards the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes later in the season, while the Newmarket-based handler already has one eye on a return to Deauville next year for their feature sprint, the Prix Maurice de Gheest.
“I think he has a good career ahead of him and we might have a go at the sprint at Ascot at the end of the year on Champions Day – we will certainly put him in then see how he is mid-October,” added Chapple-Hyam.
“I think six furlongs is his trip and next year hopefully he will be able to run in the Prix Maurice de Gheest which is over six and a half.
“He’s very versatile and we’ve never been worried about going with him, which is nice when you know they can go on both. It’s lucky because some horses can get dependent on a certain going.”
