Deauville: Dream Ahead back for more

Dream Ahead made a successful voyage to Deauville, France, last summer to win the Group 1 Prix Morny, part of a season in which he shared the 2-year-old English championship with the undefeated Frankel.

This weekend, Dream Ahead makes another cross-Channel journey to Deauville, where he will be favored in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest over 6 1/2 furlongs. Trained by David Simcock, Dream Ahead will be after his second consecutive win at the highest level, having won the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket last month in his second start of 2011.

In the Prix Maurice de Gheest, which is worth approximately $356,000, Dream Ahead will be ridden by William Buick and leads a field of 13. The turf course is expected to be soft, which should suit Dream Ahead, who won the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket last year on similar footing.

Zoffany, trained by Aidan O’Brien and second to Frankel in the Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, is a threat to Dream Ahead, as is Society Rock, the winner of the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 18.

◗ Power, unbeaten in three starts, including two stakes, will be favored in a strong field in Sunday’s Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes for 2-year-old colts and fillies at the Curragh in Ireland.

Trained by O’Brien, Power, a colt by Oasis Dream, won the Marble Hill Stakes over five furlongs at the Curragh in May and the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 14 for owner Michael Tabor.

Power is the 2-1 favorite in future-book betting for the Phoenix Stakes, which is run over six furlongs and has a purse of approximately $271,000. Seamie Heffernan will ride Power.

The competition includes the improving Frederick Engels, who won the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and the July Stakes at Newmarket last month, and Lilbourne Lad, the winner of stakes in Ireland in his last two starts.

The stakes-placed runners After, La Collina, Parrish Hall, and Tough As Nails are part of a field of nine.

◗ Dancing Rain, the winner of the English Oaks, starts in Sunday’s Group 1 German Oaks over 1 3/8 miles at Dusseldorf. Fifth in the Irish Oaks last month, Dancing Rain is part of a field of 16. The race is worth approximately $570,000.