Coming into Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois short of his peak having suffered a blood disorder last month, Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) nevertheless had sufficient ammunition to deny Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and gain membership to an elite club on the honor roll of the feature of Deauville's month-long festival. Meeting the younger generation for the first time, the four-times group 1 winner was the subject of the most interest among the Normandy crowd and started at 7-10 drawn away from the stand's rail which often grants an advantage here. Held back by Frankie Dettori trapped out on the wing as Poetic Flare raced against the fence out of sight tracking the keen-going Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's TDN Rising Star received the go-ahead 300 metres from the finish. Delivering his customary surge to shut down the gap in a moment, he was able to subdue the Bolger runner inside the final 150 metres and score a shade cosily by a neck, with Order of Australia 1 3/4 lengths away in third. In doing so, the 4-year-old who is unbeaten this year and has suffered one excusable reversal in his three seasons of racing equalled the feat of Miesque and Spinning World in completing back-to-back successes in this French monument. “I love the horse–he's the best miler I've ridden ,” declared Frankie, who was equalling the record of Freddy Head with a sixth renewal. “He's beautiful. He's got everything, pace, a turn of foot and goes on any ground. We were rushing to get him here today–he lost a bunch of work, but he's so good we got away with it.”
Dettori's winning haul in this began in 1999 with Dubai Millennium (GB), so to hear the rider of greats at the trip such as Dubawi (Ire) and Mark of Esteem (Ire) herald Palace Pier as the top in that category underlines the quality of the pride of Clarehaven. Unbeaten in two low-profile starts at Sandown at two, the bay failed to make it to the G1 2000 Guineas as a result of a setback but showed what Newmarket had missed a month later when denying Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot. Prevailing with a degree of comfort from a different Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) to the one he encountered this time in last year's Jacques le Marois on testing ground, he carried an air of invulnerability into the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on Champions Day but lost a shoe and any prospect of winning exiting the stalls before earning third through sheer ability alone.
Giving the impression he was merely going through the motions in the Apr. 23 G2 Sandown Mile and the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury May 15, Palace Pier was less demonstrative in the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot June 15, an hour before Poetic Flare was exactly that in the St James's Palace. While the showdown between the generation leaders among their sex was postponed from the Sussex to here, the gap between them was clear to see as the year-older colt employed his superior acceleration to settle the question. Caught wide throughout and following a rival in Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) who could not take him far enough, Palace Pier had the distinct disadvantage of the two with Kevin Manning enjoying as charmed a trip as is possible in this race. Track, trip and ground were all on Poetic Flare's side and yet the one who according to John Gosden was “80%” was able to win snugly. “I got on the tail of Mickael [Barzalona on Victor Ludorum] and kept an eye on Kevin–when he kicked, I went after him,” Dettori explained. “I raced on my own for the last 200 metres and passed him good, but he came and fought me back. Apart from losing a shoe and having a bad start in the QEII last year, he's done nothing wrong and is a credit to the team.”
While Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) goes up in trip on Wednesday, it may be that the true division champion at a mile is decided by the international handicappers at the end of the year. With Jeff Smith's electrifying filly probably headed for the QEII on Champions Day Oct. 16, Gosden Sr gave his clearest indication yet that Palace Pier could go up in distance for the G1 Qipco Champion S. “I wouldn't be frightened of stepping him up to a mile and a quarter, but I think we'll wait for Champions Day,” he said. “With a horse like this, you don't want to come back too quickly and possibly run him a bit short so we'll wait and either go for the mile or the mile-and-a-quarter race then. The Breeders' Cup is a long way off, but I'm very fond of Del Mar as I had a lot of success there and have a lot of good friends there.”
“I thought it was a very clean race and Ryan went a sensible pace on Order of Australia, controlling it and keeping it in hand. It was not a race to be sitting out the back and was a bit of a test of speed,” Gosden added. “I made it clear he was coming here 80%, on the absolute minimum of work, but his class got him through. He was having a pretty strong blow after and was ten days short for this, but they weren't going to move the Jaques le Marois and without it his season would be meaningless. He made a great move, but lack of fitness told at the end. He's a gorgeous horse, is a dual winner of the race and is top-class–he has an amazing cruising speed and acceleration.”
Palace Pier is out of the unraced Beach Frolic (GB) (Nayef), who is a half to the G2 Dante S. winner Bonfire (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and to this stable's G2 Windsor Forest S. and G3 Musidora S. scorer Joviality (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who was also third in the GI Beverly D. The third dam Miss d'Ouilly (Fr) (Bikala {Ire}) is a half-sister to a past Jacques le Marois heroine in Miss Satamixa (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), who was later responsible for the GIII Cardinal H. winner Miss Caerleona (Fr) (Caerleon) who is in turn the dam of another former smart Gosden representative in Karen's Caper (War Chant). She was successful in the G3 Nell Gwyn S., GIII Noble Damsel Breeders' Cup H. and GIII Eatontown S. and was also runner-up in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and the G1 Coronation S. before producing the G2 UAE 2000 Guuineas scorer Kinglet (Kingmambo) and the G2 Derby Italiano runner-up King's Caper (GB) (New Approach {Ire}).
Miss Caerleona was also responsible for the GII Davona Dale H. winner Miss Coronado (Coronado's Quest), who in turn threw the stakes scorer and GI Las Virgenes S. third Arethusa (A.P. Indy) while the family also features the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Irish Oaks heroine Blue Bunting (Dynaformer) and the top-level performers Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo) and Comicas (Distorted Humor). Beach Frolic's 2-year-old colt Highland Frolic (Fr) (Highland Reel {Ire}) was a 320,000gns purchase by McCalmont Bloodstock at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, which is where her yearling colt by Almanzor (Fr) is headed in two months' time.
Sunday, Deauville, France
PRIX DU HARAS DE FRESNAY-LE-BUFFARD JACQUES LE MAROIS-G1, €1,000,000, Deauville, 8-15, 3yo/up, c/f, 8fT, 1:35.96, gd.
1–PALACE PIER (GB), 131, c, 4, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Beach Frolic (GB), by Nayef
2nd Dam: Night Frolic (GB), by Night Shift
3rd Dam: Miss d'Ouilly (Fr), by Bikala (Ire)
(600,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Highclere Stud & Floors Farming (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. €571,400. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 7-9.5f & MG1SW-Eng, 10-9-0-1, €1,753,741. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Poetic Flare (Ire), 125, c, 3, Dawn Approach (Ire)–Maria Lee (Ire), by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire). O-Mrs J S Bolger; B/T-Jim Bolger (IRE). €228,600.
3–Order of Australia (Ire), 131, c, 4, Australia (GB)–Senta's Dream (GB), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €114,300.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 0.70, 3.10, 17.00.
Also Ran: Midtown (GB), Chindit (Ire), Ecrivain (Fr), Victor Ludorum (GB), Alpine Star (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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