Advertise heads field in Prix Maurice de Gheest

Advertise, winner of Group 1 races in England and Ireland in the last year, will be favored to win his first excursion to France in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf at Deauville Racecourse.

Advertise won the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup for 3-year-olds at Royal Ascot in June and was second to fellow 3-year-old Ten Sovereigns in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket on July 13 in his debut against older horses.

In the $422,066 Prix Maurice de Gheest, run on a straightaway course, Advertise will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, who was aboard for the colt’s last two starts and a 15th-place finish in the Group 1 English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May.

Dettori is having an outstanding week, having won Group 1 races at Goodwood Racecourse in England on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Advertise, trained by Martyn Meade for Phoenix Thoroughbreds, is part of a strong field in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

The best hope among the French runners is Polydream, who won the 2018 Prix Maurice de Gheest. Trained by Freddie Head, Polydream ended a three-race losing streak with a win in the Group 3 Prix de la Porte Maillot at seven furlongs on July 4 at Longchamp, closing from off the pace.

The Prix Maurice de Gheest has a strong influence of runners from England and Ireland, including Invincible Army, who won the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes at York Racecourse in May, but was seventh in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at six furlongs at Royal Ascot in June.

Invincible Army, trained by James Tate, rebounded to win the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes on the all-weather surface at Newcastle, England, on June 29, his sixth win in 15 starts.

The 5-year-old mare One Master, fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs last November, will have her fourth start of the year Sunday. She was second in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on July 12 at Newmarket.

The Prix Maurice de Gheest will be One Master’s first start in France since she beat males in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret at Longchamp last October.