A driving finish to Deauville G1

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10 hours ago

DEAUVILLE Sponsored for the first time by the famous Aga Khan Studs, the 2025 renewal of the €1 million (S$1.5 million) Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois (1,600m) at Deauville on Aug 17 went right down to the wire, with Diego Velazquez hanging on by a nose to beat the fast-closing Notable Speech.
Trained by Irish maestro Aidan O'Brien, the Frankel five-year-old - who had scored four Group wins previously, including his last-start win in the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes (1,400m) at Curragh on July 20 - has reached the pinnacle of his racing career with that first Group 1 victory in France's international feature race.
Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, the Irish-bred broke from gate 10 and landed in front in the middle of the 1,600m straight.
Japanese raider Go To First (Mirai Iwata) was behind him, while eight other runners were bunched up near the rails.
The two gradually closed the gap with the rest on the rails approaching the 1,000m mark, with Soumillon settling Diego Velazquez in third on the outside.
His stablemate The Lion In Winter (Ryan Moore) led on the rails, and the Roger Teal-trained Dancing Gemini (Rossa Ryan) sat in second on his outside.
After The Lion In Winter faded away at the 300m, it was Diego Velazquez and Dancing Gemini who were locked in a fierce battle up front.
With less than 100m to go, Diego Velazquez ($58) looked to have done enough. He finally got the better of Dancing Gemini in a thrilling duel that lasted more than 200m, but they had not reckoned with the extraordinary late burst of the English colt Notable Speech (William Buick).
Prepared by Charlie Appleby, the Dubawi four-year-old was unlucky when he was trapped behind weakening rivals in the crucial stages, but he flew home like a rocket along the rails, only to be denied by a nose from the brave Diego Velazquez.
Dancing Gemini did his best to hang on for third, another ¾ length away.
It was O'Brien's second success in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, after he first won it with Excelebration - who was also ridden by Soumillon - in 2012.
He also paid tribute to Diego Velazquez's well-known owner, Sam Sangster of Sam Sangster Bloodstock, after the win.
The son of influential British owner and breeder Robert Sangster - one of the three founders of Coolmore Stud - Sangster Jr moved to Australia in 2007 to gain first-hand experience in different areas of the racing industry.
He returned to the UK in 2010, and branched into racing syndication a year later before Sam Sangster Bloodstock was established in 2015.
"This is a breeding operation that produces very good two and three-year-olds. And of course, he's (Diego Velazquez) a superb model, a willing horse," said O'Brien.
"His last run was very good and he really came to himself last week. The Minstrel Stakes have often proved to be an excellent stepping stone - it's a sharp 1,400 metres, and you need to be sharp.
"But he's very courageous, yes. And if you think about Ballydoyle's history, and the history of these colours with horses like The Minstrel, who could have imagined that we would have a horse running in Mr Sangster's silks?
"It's just incredible, and I'm so delighted for Sam - truly thrilled."
Soumillon, who was in his fourth Jacques Le Marois win following his successes aboard Whipper (2004), Makfi (2010) and Excelebration (2012), was taken aback when Notable Speech came swooping late, but was glad Diego Velazquez held on.
"I was quite surprised to see William finish so strongly in the end and I nearly got beat," said the top jockey.
"When I spoke to (Diego Velazquez's regular partner) Ryan Moore in the jockeys' room, he gave me quite a lot of confidence about him.
"I was happy with the draw as he was able to do his own things. He doesn't absolutely need a cover.
"I was going really easy until the last 600m and, when he came onto the bridle, he was really cruising. I waited for the right timing to let him go and he responded so well." FRANCE GALOP