Kikkuli in line for crack at top-grade honours in France

‘He bounced out of Ascot in good shape and the owners are keen to roll the dice.’

Frankel’s little brother Kikkuli is set to get his first shot at Group One glory in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday.

Harry Charlton’s colt has plenty to live up to as a son of Kingman and a half-sibling to one of the greatest horses to ever grace the turf, but he has so far upheld family honour admirably.

Since breaking his maiden tag at the second attempt at Newmarket in April, the Juddmonte homebred has finished second in a soft-ground Heron Stakes at Sandown before going down by a diminishing short head to Haatem in a pulsating renewal of the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

With Haatem having previously been placed in the 2000 Guineas and the Irish equivalent, connections of Kikkuli feel he now fully merits his place at the highest level, with this weekend’s seven-furlong feature across the Channel appearing an ideal target.

“I think so long as Harry is happy with him in the morning, the plan is for him to go to Deauville. He bounced out of Ascot in good shape and the owners are keen to roll the dice,” said Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon.

“He obviously had a big run in Ascot and we’re looking forward to seeing him again. The form of the Jersey stacks up, he obviously pushed Haatem all the way and there was River Tiber and plenty of other very good horses behind him.

“Seven furlongs was perfect in Ascot, Deauville is a nice, fair track and hopefully the ground is good.

“With his pedigree, if he was to clinch a Group One it would be a great result.”

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