Irish in Group 1 action in France on Sunday Lethal Force will face 13 rivals as he bids for a Group One hat-trick in Sunday's Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville. Clive Cox's four-year-old has really come of age this season, stepping up on his narrow second in the Duke of York Stakes in May to land clear-cut victories in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket. His one-and-a-half-length defeat of Society Rock at Headquarters last month confirmed his position at the top of the European sprinting tree but he steps up to six and a half furlongs this time. However, having won the seven-furlong Hungerford Stakes at Newbury last year, Cox is confident the minor jump up in trip is far from a negative. "I'm very happy with him, he's been in excellent form since the July Cup," he said. "Obviously this is six and a half furlongs this time but we are pleased to move in that direction with him as he has won over seven in the Hungerford. "I hope the ground continues to dry at Deauville. At the moment there's a forecast for the possibility of thunder but then a dry forecast through to Sunday. "If the forecast is correct, the ground should suit him and I hope it will as that's why we're going there." The Freddie Head-trained Moonlight Cloud has won the race for the last two seasons and Cox rates her as a major rival after a recent victorious comeback at Longchamp. He said: "She's a very smart mare, I don't doubt that, and we will give her the utmost respect, but, at the same time, we're very happy with our horse." The field also includes the Tom Hogan-trained Gordon Lord Byron and Aidan O'Brien's Jersey Stakes victor Gale Force Ten. The latter is one of three three-year-olds in the line-up along with the Henri-Alex Pantall-trained Princedargent and Pascal Bary's US Law. Andre Fabre's Tulips, Abu Sidra, Silas Marner, American Devil, Don Bosco, Indian Sly, Nova Neyev and Catcall complete the list of runners.
