Amazing Maria, Ervedya clash in Prix Rothschild

The Royal Ascot winners Amazing Maria and Ervedya meet for the first time in Sunday’s $330,000 Prix Rothschild for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Deauville Racecourse in France. The Group 1 Prix Rothschild is one of Europe’s leading races for female turf milers.

Amazing Maria won the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes for fillies and mares at Royal Ascot on June 17 and followed with a win in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on July 10. In the Falmouth at a mile, Amazing Maria finished a length in front of Euro Charline, the winner of the 2014 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park and a candidate for the same race Aug. 15.

Amazing Maria, a 4-year-old Irish-bred filly by Mastercraftsman, races for owner Robert Ogden and trainer David O’Meara.

Ervedya has been the star 3-year-old filly miler in Europe this year. She won the Group 1 French 1000 Guineas at Longchamp on May 10 and the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 19 for the Aga Khan and trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.

Ervedya, a French-bred by the Pivotal stallion Siyouni, is one of two 3-year-old fillies in the Prix Rothschild. The other is Usherette, who is unbeaten in two starts, both in France for Godolphin Racing and Andre Fabre, and will have her stakes debut in the Prix Rothschild.

Usherette is the only runner in the field of eight yet to win a stakes. Other runners include Rizeena, who won the 2014 Coronation and was second to Amazing Maria in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, and Bewina, who was fourth in the Falmouth after winning the Group 2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud in France in May.

◗ Muthmir, a 5-year-old gelding, won his second Group 2 sprint of the year in Friday’s $468,000 King George Stakes at five furlongs at the Glorious Goodwood meeting in England.

Ridden by Paul Hanagan, Muthmir, the 3-1 favorite in a field of 15, closed from the middle of the pack to take the lead in the last sixteenth. He held off a threat from 20-1 Take Cover to win by a head. Move In Time, a 7-1 shot, finished third, beaten a half-length.

Muthmir races for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Maktoum of Dubai and is trained by William Haggas. Earlier this year, Muthmir won the Group 2 Prix du Gros-Chene at five furlongs on turf at Chantilly Racecourse in France.

The first three finishers are expected to start in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at five furlongs on turf at York Racecourse on Aug. 21.