Mqse De Sevigne completed her Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe preparations as she came from last to first to maintain her unbeaten record for the season in the Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville.
Andre Fabre’s talented mare won the Prix Rothschild and the Romanet last summer and was long odds-on to repeat the double in the hands of Alexis Pouchin.
After being settled at the rear of the five-strong field for much of the 10-furlong contest, the five-year-old was produced to challenge in the straight and knuckled down well to claim victory by a head, with her rider keen to ensure she did not have a hard time of things.
Joseph O’Brien saddled the second and third in American Sonja and Maxux, with Blue Rose Cen running her best race of the season so far in a close-up fourth.
Following her victory 12 months ago, Mqse De Sevigne dropped back to a mile in the Sun Chariot at Newmarket, finishing second to Inspiral, but this season she is set to step up to a mile and a half for the first time in a bid to provide her trainer with a record-extending ninth victory in the Arc.
Coral eased her odds to 33/1 from 20/1 for Europe’s premier middle-distance contest, but Fabre is nevertheless looking forward to seeing her line up at ParisLongchamp in early October.
“She’s a great mare, she is beautiful and has all that you can expect from a well-bred thoroughbred,” the master trainer told Sky Sports Racing.
“Keep in mind that she wins all her races by a nose or a short head. That [Arc] was the plan and it will stay that way – we will go straight for the Arc.”
Friendly Soul continues on the upgrade in Deauville
Friendly Soul continued her profitable summer with a front-running victory in the Sumbe Prix Alec Head at Deauville.
Successful on her only juvenile start at Kempton in December, John and Thady Gosden’s filly landed the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on her return to action before disappointing as hot favourite for the Musidora Stakes at York.
However, she showed he true colours when putting her rivals to the sword in the Group Three Valiant Stakes at Ascot last month and repeated the feat at Group Two level in France.
Having made the running from flag-fall, Friendly Soul remained in front at the top of the home straight and while Candala briefly loomed up looking a big threat, the British raider gave generously for Kieran Shoemark to maintain her advantage, with Birthe finishing strongly to beat Candala to second.
“She’s a very good filly. We didn’t expect the rain that we got here and consequently the ground is tacky and holding and she didn’t like it very much, but she managed to show her class and win it,” John Gosden told Sky Sports Racing.
“I think she’ll be a better filly on good ground, or even good to firm. We’ll just see where racing in the autumn and next year takes her, but she’s very progressive and the ground wasn’t showing her at her best today.
“I think a mile and a quarter in Europe is perfect for her. I wouldn’t try to go a mile and a half here, in America she’d get a bit more if you wanted to on the flat ovals.
“We put her in the Prix l’Opera and if the ground is like it was at ParisLongchamp last year we would definitely be running, if not we won’t be running.
“We can see about a trip to Del Mar (Breeders’ Cup). Mr (George) Strawbridge (owner) does live in America.”
Double Major stars in Prix Kergorlay
Double Major cemented his status as France’s best stayer with a dominant display in the Sumbe Prix Kergorlay.
Christophe Ferland’s four-year-old enjoyed an excellent end to 2023, landing the Prix Chaudenay on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp before claiming Group One honours in the Prix Royal-Oak.
Double Major lands the Sumbe Prix Kergolay, photo: Zuzanna Lupa
He was beaten on his first two starts of the current campaign, placing third behind Sevenna’s Knight in successive races in May, but regained the winning thread in the Prix Maurice de Nieui and was a warm order to follow up in this one-mile-seven-furlong Group Two.
Sent straight to the lead by Stephane Pasquier, Double Major kicked in the turbo from the home turn and his rivals were soon trailing in his wake, with Goya Senora emerging best of the rest.
