Lightning Spear returns to France

Lightning Spear has been one of the top turf milers in England this year, winning the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Aug. 1 and finishing second or third in Group 1 miles at Newbury and Royal Ascot in May and June.

On Sunday, Lightning Spear will race in France for the first time in 12 months in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, France’s final Group 1 race for turf milers this year. The $520,290 race drew a field of 11, including the French Group 1 winner Recoletos and the improving English 3-year-old Expert Eye.

Recoletos is likely to go favored, although Lightning Spear is easy to back. Trained by David Simcock for Qatar, the 7-year-old Lightning Spear won the Sussex by 1 1/2 lenghts over Expert Eye, his first Group 1 win in his 24th start. Lightning Spear overcame a touch of trouble with a quartermile to go to reach the front in the final furlong.

Lightning Spear was sixth in the 2017 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp when the race was run at Chantilly while Longchamp underwent renovations. Longchamp reopened earlier this year.

The Sussex Stakes was the best result in a Group 1 for Expert Eye, who races for Juddmonte Farms and trainer Michael Stoute. Expert Eye followed the loss with a win in the Group 3 City of York Stakes at seven furlongs at York Racecourse on Aug. 25, his fourth win in eight starts. Ryan Moore rides Expert Eye, who tends to race as a stalker.

Recoletos is by far the best hope of the French-based runners. Trained by Carlos Laffon-Parais, Recoletos won the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan at 1 1/8 miles at Longchamp in May and was second to the brilliant 3-year-old filly Alpha Centauri in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois for milers at Deauville on Aug. 12.

Alpha Centauri is expected to race later this month in Ireland.