Alverta heads to the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Sunday 8 August

Alverta continues to flourish in the warm English summer and stands alone as the last remaining international raider from the recent Royal Ascot & Newmarket July Carnivals. Her next assignment is the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest over 1300 metres on Sunday 8 August.

After finishing third in the blazingly competitive Group 1 July Cup, only three-quarters of a length from Starspangledbanner, Alverta has continued to improve in her training and looks magnificent.

Alverta did her final piece of serious work last Saturday and Paul could not be happier with her recovery. The Aussie team consisting of Alverta, Paul and Leah (groom), accompanied by Louis Le Metayer from Arrowfield’s bloodstock team, will pile into a compact float and drive to Deauville on Friday night. Jockey Tye Angland flies to France on Friday to partner Alverta once again on European soil.

The trip from Newmarket to Deauville takes approximately 7 hours with the first stop being Folkestone at the Channel Tunnel. Here they will board a train (the float will be driven onto the train) to cross the English Channel to France. After disembarking at Calais, they will drive south to Normandy, where Alverta will be stabled at the Head family’s famous Haras de Quesnay in preparation for her race on Sunday.

Interestingly, since 2000, four winners of the Prix Maurice de Gheest have come from a placing in the July Cup.

AM