Deauville beckons for Kirk star

Sylvester Kirk has his eyes on a trip to the glamorous seaside resort of Deauville with progressive two-year-old Elhamri.

Kirk has earmarked the Group One Darley Prix Morny on Sunday week as the next stop for the Noverre colt after his fine weight-carrying performance in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury.

He had previously won the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot under Declan McDonogh and Kirk fully believes he deserves to be stepped up in class.

However, despite showing he could handle rain-softened conditions at Newbury, Kirk is insistent he is at his best on a much quicker surface.

“I think he’ll probably go to the Morny next, depending on the ground,” said Kirk.

“That is Plan A at the moment and we’ll take it from there but the ground is important. The other option is the Gimcrack (August 23 at York).

“He’s in the Mill Reef Stakes as well but as that is only a Group Two and the Morny is a Group One.

"If we are going to take a chance we may as well take a big chance.

“The Gimcrack would be a nice race to step him up from five to six furlongs as York is just that little bit easier for him.

“We are just going through the options with him at the moment but at this stage it looks like the Morny and then we’ll play it by ear depending on the ground.

“He’s really well after Newbury, really, really good,” continued Kirk.

“I purposefully left him out of the Molecomb at Goodwood because I knew I’d run him!

“Looking at it now I would have run him because he is in great form and even though Newbury was a tough race he is really well. He’s in the form of his life.

“It was a benefit that he proved he could handle a bit of cut last time and at this stage every option has plusses and minuses. Wherever he goes, though, Declan will ride him.”