O`Brien duo head de Gheest field

Aidan O`Brien has strong hopes of landing the Group One Prix Maurice de Gheest over six and a half furlongs at Deauville on Sunday, for which nine runners were declared today.

The Ballydoyle trainer is responsible for likely favourites King Charlemagne (Jamie Spencer) and Minardi (Frederick Sanchez), who will be coupled for betting purposes.

King Charlemagne has won a Group Three and a Group Two this season whilst Minardi was fourth and third respectively in the English and Irish 2000 Guineas before disappointing in Royal Ascot`s St James`s Palace Stakes.

Minardi had been quoted a 5-2 favourite for tomorrow`s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Sprint at Ascot but after stepping on a stone on Wednesday morning O`Brien re-routed him to Deauville in order to give the colt an extra day to recover.

Richard Hannon, who won the Maurice de Gheest last year with Bold Edge, runs Watching (Thierry Jarnet) though after several disappointments this season other British raiders are likely to be more fancied.

They include Godolphin`s Three Points (Pat Eddery) and the John Gosden-trained Mount Abu (Olivier Peslier), who were fourth and sixth respectively in Newmarket`s Darley July Cup last time out.

Also in the line-up is Tim Easterby`s Hot Tin Roof (Gerald Mosse) - fourth last year - an easy winner over six furlongs at Newmarket last Saturday, and the Michael Jarvis-trained Kier Park (Philip Robinson).

The field is made up of German challenger Tertullian (F Minarik) and sole local hope Danger Over (Thierry Thulliez) in a race in which overseas challengers filled the first five places last year.

After continuous rain at Deauville this week the ground conditions for Sunday`s race are predicted to be very soft.