Bouncing out of the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, where he was third behind the top-class Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Zagrey (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), the Wertheimers' Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}) made his class tell in Saturday's G3 Prix de Reux at Deauville. Sent off the 6-4 favourite for the 12 1/2-furlong test, the Andre Fabre-trained 4-year-old was reserved behind the leading quartet early by Maxime Guyon and was not asked a question until straightening for home. Comfortably overwhelming Big Call (Animal Kingdom) with 150 metres remaining without the whip being used, the homebred drew away to beat that rival by three lengths.

Junko, who was unable to add to his G3 Prix Noailles success last term despite running some sound races including when pushing Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) to his limit in ParisLongchamp's G2 Prix Dollar in October, looks like he has found his ideal trip now. "It was the right option so run him over a mile and a half for the first time in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and he ran a very good race," the owner-breeders' racing manager Pierre Yves Bureau said. "There was maybe a slight question mark over the ground, but he handled it beautifully and had a lovely action at the end. The logical next race is the [G2] Grand Prix de Deauville if all is well."

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