O'Brien sends strong raiding party to France Aidan O’Brien has three runners in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Sunday. Ryan Moore rides Fleet Review, who outran his huge odds to finish third to stablemate U S Navy Flag in the July Cup last time out. Wayne Lordan has the call up for Actress, a Group Three winner in June, while Padraig Beggy is on Intelligence Cross, who was only a nose behind Fleet Review in a Listed race at the Curragh. Freddy Head is finding it hard to split his two runners Polydream and Efaadah. Polydream was a big fancy for the French 1000 Guineas but a setback meant she was unable to show her true ability while Efaadah has been steadily progressing. Both won Group Threes last time out. “She’s very well. I expect a very good performance from her,” said Head of Polydream. “She ran over a mile last year and it is hard to say she didn’t stay given how the form has worked out but she’s always shown me lots of pace. I’m very confident. “When Wild Illusion beat her in the Boussac she picked up an injury that day, that was why she never ran again before the Pouliches. “In the Pouliches it was a rush to get her there, she had a bad draw and she pulled too hard, it’s easy to forget the race. “We saw the real Polydream last time, that form is strong. “My other filly has a good chance, Efaadah. I don’t think there’s much between them at all. “Certainly if you rate them through Inns Of Court there isn’t and I think she’ll go well too.” Others from the home team with leading claims are City Light, a winner at Lingfield on All-Weather Finals day and just touched off in the Diamond Jubilee and Wootton, who has shown up well in Group Ones over a mile this season. As ever there is a huge contingent from the United Kingdom and Ireland, led by last year’s winner Brando who was second in the July Cup last time out for Kevin Ryan. Frankie Dettori is reunited with James Garfield for George Scott, who is wearing first time blinkers stepping back down in trip. A return to the form which saw him win the Greenham earlier in the season would put him in the picture. Scott said: “Frankie gets back on him and we are trying him in blinkers. He has got to step up in Group One company, as we have seen he has slightly fallen short in Group One company before. “He has got a lot in his favour and we feel like we are taking a fresh horse to the races. “At Ascot he was going there at the end of quite a hard spell. I feel he is in a much better place than he was. The trip his fine, although seven might be better for him.” Richard Fahey’s Sands Of Mali went to the July Cup on the back of a big run in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot but he failed to run up to form. Fahey is unconcerned though, and he won in France earlier in the season. He said: “To be honest he didn’t run any race at Newmarket, but he has done that before and has bounced back. “We are very happy with him and he is in great form. I can’t find any reason for his last run. Whether he was on the wrong side and came up the wrong strip, I don’t know, but he is great order now. “He had an off-day, we all have them.” James Fanshawe’s The Tin Man, Wokingham winner Bacchus, Larchmont Lad for David O’Meara, Dean Ivory’s Librisa Breeze, Charlie Appleby’s D’Bai and Karl Burke’s Unfortunately complete the British raiding party.
