Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Mill Stream secured the big-race victory he has long promised with a dominant display in the Prix Moonlight Cloud at Deauville.
Not beaten far when fourth behind 2000 Guineas hero Chaldean in the Acomb Stakes at York last summer, the Gleneagles colt was also thrown at the deep end on his reappearance, finishing sixth in a Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock won by Little Big Bear.
Having since been placed behind fast-improving sprinter Quinault in valuable handicaps at York at Newmarket, Mill Stream headed across the Channel in a bid to earn himself a return to the winner’s enclosure and got the job done in some style in the hands of Marco Ghiani.
Always travelling well in behind pacesetters in the six-furlong Listed contest, the three-year-old quickened up smartly when the gap came and soon put daylight between himself and his rivals.
Karl Burke’s Secret Angel finished the best of the rest to make it a one-two for the raiding party.
Ghiani, riding at Deauville for the first time, told Sky Sports Racing: “He travelled really well and when I asked him to pick up he picked up really well.
“I was a bit concerned about the ground, but going down he was moving fine.
“He obviously didn’t have as much weight as he does in handicaps and they’re all at even weights, so that suited him very well.”
Brave Emperor carried the Middleham Park Racing colours to a surprise success in the Group Three Prix Daphnis.
The Archie Watson-trained three-year-old has taken his owners on a European tour this season, with a Listed win in France and a Group Three triumph in Germany sandwiching a win on home soil in the “Road To The Kentucky Derby” Conditions Stakes at Chelmsford.
He was well beaten on his most recent outing in the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot, but showed his true colours back on foreign turf with a battling display under Luke Morris.
“Everything went lovely and smoothly. I got a lovely draft into the race behind the front two and he kind of surprised me that he went into the last two furlongs travelling so strongly,” said the jockey.
“He’s quickened away nicely and when he felt the others come he ground it out to the line.
“He’s a two-time Group Three winner now so hopefully something a bit better might be ahead.
“He’s travelled far and wide and you’d imagine races like the Prix Daniel Wildenstein on Arc weekend will come onto his calendar now. He needs to step up into Group Two or even Group One company.”
Live In The Dream was a hot favourite to strike gold for Epsom-based Adam West in the Prix du Cercle – but he was upstaged by former British-trained sprinter Asymmetric.
Having been placed in the Palace House at Newmarket and the Temple Stakes at Haydock on his last two starts, Live In The Dream set the standard in this five-furlong Listed event.
But after leading the group that raced closest to the stands side for much of the way, he faltered late on and it was Asymmetric who came through to secure top honours.
Asymmetric won the 2021 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood for Alan King and has since enjoyed a spell in America with Wesley Ward before returning to Europe to join French-based Italian Maurizio Guarnieri.
