Affidavit's strong testimony

Four British runners failed to collect any substantial prize money at yesterday's opening day of the summer meeting at Deauville.

Andre Fabre, France's top trainer, captured the two Group races. Smolensk, an 11-10 favourite, who had been beaten by Ridgewood Pearl in Royal Ascot's Coronation Stakes, took the Group Two Prix d'Astarte. Ridden by Thierry Jarnet, the filly beat Shaanxi by a comfortable half length.

Nagnagnag, trained at Epsom by Simon Dow, briefly challenged for the lead only to be beaten around six lengths into sixth place. The winner will return to Deauville in two weeks for the meeting's feature race, the Prix Jacques le Marois.

Fabre later sent out Affidavit, another Jarnet mount, to be an easy winner of the Group Three Prix Berteux. Another Surrey runner, the Terry Mills- trained Wot-If-We, was fourth and last.

David Elsworth's Magic Galop was also last of four in the Prix Yacowlef. Pip Payne's Ya Malak was involved in a four-way photograph in the Prix du Cercle, but the camera revealed he too had finished fourth.