Three look good at Deauville

Shaanmer heads a competitive field of 10 lining up for Thursday's 1 1/4-mile Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano for 3-year-olds at Deauville.

A Darshaan colt trained by Andre Fabre, Shaanmer was undefeated as a 2-year-old and has been heartbreakingly close in his last two starts. He was beaten by just a neck by Rouvres in the 1 1/8-mile, Group 1 Prix Jean Prat on June 2, and by only a head by Khalkevi in the 1 1/4-mile Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris three weeks later.

A repeat of either of those efforts puts him in the winner's circle Thursday, but there are two other highly consistent colts who will have a say in the matter.

Burning Sun's victory in the 1 1/4-mile, Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam sets him up perfectly for the Ornano. Trained by Henry Cecil, he is looking for his third consecutive victory.

Bernebeau is Fabre's second string. Never worse than second in six career starts, he earned a 1 1/2-length victory over Cielago in the 1 1/8-mile Group 3 Prix Daphnis on July 28. Without Connexion, third in the Grand Prix de Paris, is a possible upsetter for Pascal Bary.