JAMES Ferguson is hoping Deauville Legend can triumph in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, as part of a plan that could include a tilt at the Lexus Melbourne Cup.
Deauville Legend has been a star for the Newmarket-based trainer and is on course to line up on the Knavesmire in Wednesday 17 August’s mile and a half Group 2, that offers record prize money of £200,000.
The gelded son of Sea The Stars was second just under a fortnight ago in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at the Goodwood Qatar Festival where he gave 3lb in weight to the winner (now the St Leger favourite) as a result of his success in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy, earlier in July, at Newmarket.
He’d previously run at Royal Ascot with the Sky Bet Ebor Festival now his latest destination, on a tour of British racing’s major summer occasions.
Ferguson is positive about Deauville Legend’s prospects in the Great Voltigeur, a contest in which there are a handful narrowly ahead of him in the ante-post betting with the sponsor, including Godolphin pair Secret State and Walk of Stars.
Ferguson said: “He’s recovered from his (Goodwood) race well – the intention is still to run in the Voltigeur.
“I think he’s in great nick and looking forward to him running. He’ll probably do one more piece (of fast work) – probably on Thursday.
“Two in the betting that will be ahead of him are Walk of Stars and Secret State. He has already beaten Walk of Stars and there’s an argument for him being as good if not better than Secret State – we’ll see.
“He has progressed with every run. I think he’s a nice horse and am looking forward to see what he can do in the future. He’s a gelding so he can’t run in the Leger – this is probably a stepping stone to the Melbourne Cup.”
Deauville Legend’s fine and progressive season mirrors that of his jockey – Daniel Muscutt, as Ferguson added: “Danny is a big part of our team and hopefully we can give him his first Group 2 winner.”
The Sky Bet Ebor Festival, the glittering showpiece of York Racecourse’s season, commences on Wednesday 17 August and runs through to Saturday 20 August, inclusively. The first three days all contain a Group 1 highlight before the Saturday highlight, the famous Sky Bet Ebor itself.
