‘He’s a champion, I think’ – Reynier thrilled with Deauville hero Lazzat

Unbeaten gelding streaks to Group One gold in Maurice de Gheest.

Lazzat maintained his unbeaten record with a scintillating display in the ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.

A winner of his previous five starts having only begun his racing career in January, the Territories gelding added to his narrow success over Jean-Claude Rouget’s reopposing Havana Cigar in Group Three company as he stepped up to the highest level for the first time.

Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte led the way in the early stages, with Lazzat positioned among the pursuers alongside Rouget’s Prix Jean Prat scorer, Puchkine.

Jane Chapple-Hyam’s July Cup winner Mill Stream – carrying main British hopes – was also handily poised, but none of the opposition had an answer to Lazzat once jockey Antonio Orani asked his mount to turn on the afterburners.

The three-year-old stormed to a comfortable success, leading home an all-French top three, from Carlos and Yann Lerner’s Exxtra in second and Yann Barberot’s Beauvatier in third. Andrew Balding’s Flora Of Bermuda was the best British-trained runner in fourth, with Mill Stream a place further back.

Reynier said: “It was just amazing and when you have an unbeaten horse and are climbing up the hill step by step and you reach Group One level, to win that way is just unbelievable.

“This horse race is pushing all the limits and it is unbelievable the way he was physically and mentally today, he was so strong and it gives you so much confidence.

“He’s a bit like Factuer Cheval, he never lets you down, and he is exciting for the coming months and years – he’s a gelding so he is going to run forever hopefully if he can stay safe and sound.

“Marianafoot won seven in a row and won the Maurice de Gheest for his eighth and he was a dual Group Three winner before this race just like Lazzat. Both of them are real champions and Lazzat he goes on any ground and on left, right or straight courses so he ticks many boxes.”

British racing fans were denied a glimpse of Lazzat when he skipped the Qatar Goodwood Festival to plunder this valuable sprinting prize, while the Nurlan Bizakov-owned gelding could be headed to Australia in the autumn for a shot at the prestigious Golden Eagle.

Reynier told Sky Sports Racing: “We can’t wait to see him again and we’re spacing out his races so we can be aiming at the right races every time. He was entered in the Lennox and the Sussex (Stakes) at Goodwood, but the owner wanted to have a good day at the races today.

“Ramadan won the Prix Daphnis for him and now Lazzat has won the Maurice de Gheest, so I’m very happy for him because he is a good supporter of us.

“He’s done the seven furlongs at Longchamp really well when winning the Prix Paul de Moussac so he has been entered in the Prix de la Foret.

“But obviously the prize-money for the Golden Eagle is unbelievable and that would be a great challenge and we would love to go to Australia with a runner – and he wouldn’t be just any kind of runner. Maybe we will be tempted.

“The logistics are quite hard to put in place with two weeks quarantine in Newmarket and two weeks quarantine over there, but if he feels well and he will travel OK – he’s very easy to handle and to deal with. He doesn’t need much work, he’s just a good horse and a pure champion, I think.”

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