Europe juveniles aim to earn Breeders’ Cup berth in Prix Morny

River Tiber, winner of the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, heads into Group 1 company for the first time in the Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday.

The winner of the six-furlong, straight-course contest for 2-year-olds will be provided an automatic starting position in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.

The unbeaten River Tiber, a son of Wootton Bassett, hasn’t been seen since his Royal Ascot success June 20, and his trainer Aidan O’Brien has warned that his exciting colt suffered a setback in the lead-up to the race.

O’Brien, who won this contest 12 months ago with Blackbeard, said, “The plan is to run River Tiber. He had a setback a couple of weeks ago so there will be a cloud over him when we do run him as we’re a bit worried about his fitness, but the plan at the moment is to run. He had a hold-up and missed his second-last piece of work so he had that week off, but he did a piece of work this week so that gave him a chance to go.”

River Tiber will be joined in the race by stable companions Edwardian and Johannes Brahms, who was the runner-up as the favorite in the listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Christopher Head’s Ramatuelle is one of two fillies in the race. She will look to add to her impressive victory in the Prix Robert Papin (G2) at Chantilly last time out, a race which she dominated to convincingly defeat another Aidan O’Brien horse in His Majesty by four lengths.

Vandeek made it two-for-two when defying soft conditions to run away with the Richmond Stakes (G2) at Goodwood 18 days ago, and connections are hoping this striking son of Havana Grey can handle this step up in grade.

Valiant Force caused one of the shocks of the season with a victory in the Norfolk Stakes (G2) at odds of 150-1. That victory for owners Amo Racing, Rachael O’Callaghan and Giselle De Aguiar earned him a guaranteed start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He will be one of two Amo Racing contenders in the race with the owners also represented by Thunder Blue, whose sole victory came in the Novice Stakes at Goodwood on June 11.

Jasour, trained by Clive Cox, defied odds of 16-1 to impressively claim the Kingdom of Bahrain Stakes (G2) at Newmarket’s July Festival over six furlongs. A run in the Prix Morny would represent a first taste of Group 1 action for Jasour, but with a Group 2 under his belt, Cox believes his charge has all the attributes to follow in the footsteps of his 2012 Prix Morny winner, Reckless Abandon and strike at the top table.

Sacred Angel, whose latest victory came at Ascot in the June 29 Bateaux London Princess Margaret Stakes (G3), is the second filly in the race. That win gave her trainer Charlie Johnston a first group-level success.

Elite Status, trained by Karl Burke, has course and distance form after winning the Prix de Cabourg (G3) on July 30. Burke won this race in 2017 with Unfortunately. Sajir, who finished second to Elite Status in the Prix de Cabourg, completes the field.