Arcano breaks course record

PRIX MORNY AT DEAUVILLE: ARCANO BRUSHED aside Canford Cliffs – replacing the flashy Royal Ascot winner as the 2,000 Guineas favourite – when breaking the course record in the Prix Morny at Deauville yesterday.

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum stepped in to purchase Arcano following his July Stakes success, and Brian Meehan was delighted to get off the mark for his new patron.

The owner’s retained jockey, Richard Hills, tracked odds-on favourite Canford Cliffs during the first half of the race, no doubt waiting for the market leader’s explosive burst of speed.

The acceleration which propelled him clear in the Coventry Stakes was missing on this occasion, however.

Although Richard Hughes’ mount held every chance along the stands rail, he was beaten a short neck by Special Duty. Richard Hannon’s Canford Cliffs was another neck away in third.

Hills kept Arcano within the main body of the five-strong field after Hughes manoeuvred left, but it was only in the dying strides that the 9 to 2 chance picked off Special Duty to emerge best of all in a bunched finish, which shaved half a second off the course record.

Meehan, whose Bad As I Wanna Be landed the Morny nine years ago, said: “I’m so pleased to win for my new owner. It’s marvellous to do the job for him. I’ve only been training for him for a few weeks – his whole team have been fantastic. My horse is still a baby and there is masses of improvement still to come.

“He’s entitled to be Guineas favourite now and getting a mile will not be an issue.”

Totesport were most taken after Meehan’s unbeaten colt snatched victory on the Normandy coast. They quote the unbeaten son of Oasis Dream at just 6 to 1 for the Classic.

Canford Cliffs is now 10 to 1 with the Wigan firm, while Coral offer the pair at 8 to 1 and 10s respectively. Ladbrokes make Arcano, Canford Cliffs and Steinbeck their 12 to 1 co-favourites.

Angus Gold, racing manager for owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, added: “We’ll have to see what happens in the next few weeks, but I imagine Sheikh Hamdan would love to see him win the Dewhurst.”