Venetian Sun shines against the colts in Prix Morny

Karl Burke was left in awe of Venetian Sun’s brilliance as the filly saw off the colts to remain unbeaten in a star-studded Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville.

Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tony Bloom along with Ian McAleavy, the daughter of Starman was the only filly in the six-strong line-up, as she ventured to France in a bid to add to her Royal Ascot victory in the Albany Stakes and Duchess of Cambridge triumph at Newmarket.

American raider Outfielder set the early fractions seeking to give Wesley Ward a fourth win in the race, but as that rival checked out with a furlong to run, Clifford Lee was beginning to make his challenge aboard Venetian Sun who had travelled smoothly in the slipstream of Aidan O’Brien’s Coventry Stakes hero Gstaad.

Charlie Appleby’s Wise Approach was another to make late progress but Venetian Sun was ultimately too tough to crack for her high-class rivals as she showcased her electric turn of foot once again to raise her reputation to yet another level and give her big-race pilot a first winner in elite company.

It was the second time Burke has tasted success in the six-furlong Group One after Unfortunately landed the spoils in 2017 and his second big winner of the summer at Deauville after Fallen Angel’s Prix Rothschild success.

Burke said: “That was absolutely brilliant, unbelievable, she’s a superstar filly. I’ve been saying for a while she’s a special filly and I think she has proven that today.

“The whole race went exactly how we thought and hoped it would and Cliff got her in a lovely rhythm. She’s so relaxed and once she’s in behind she falls asleep and then she’s got that electric turn of foot.

“It’s a first Group One for Clifford, he probably should have won the German Derby last month but just missed out so I’m delighted for him as well.

“I’ve been very lucky to train a lot of good fillies like Quiet Reflection, then Laurens and Fallen Angel, but at this stage of her career she would be way ahead of them.

“She’s doing things on the gallops at home that a two-year-old filly should not be doing and then she goes and keeps winning as well.”

Venetian Sun was made Coral’s 6-1 favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas on the back of her triumph in France and will now put Classic aspirations to the test when stepping up to seven furlongs in the Curragh’s Moyglare Stud Stakes on September 14 – a race the Spigot Lodge handler won with Fallen Angel two years ago.

Burke added: “Hopefully she can come out of this well and we can go to the Moyglare and then we will know if we can make a plan for running over seven furlongs or further for next year.

“I would be amazed if she doesn’t get the seven furlongs well and to be honest I’ve always thought she would be better over seven furlongs.”