Mqse De Sevigne © Photo Healy Racing
Mqse De Sevigne continued her unbeaten campaign with a successful defence of her Prix Rothschild crown at Deauville.
Andre Fabre’s top-class mare narrowly accounted for stablemate Life In Motion to lift the Group One prize 12 months ago and was the hot favourite to repeat the feat in the hands of Alexis Pouchin.
Making her first competitive appearance since touching off Horizon Dore in the Prix d’Ispahan at ParisLongchamp in late May, Mqse De Sevigne travelled strongly in midfield for much of the straight-mile contest before being delivered with her challenge heading inside the final furlong.
Excellent Truth briefly threatened to make a real race of it nearer to the stands rail, but Mqse De Sevigne was well on top at the line, with Pouchin standing up in the stirrups to salute the crowd.
The Irish pair of Rogue Millennium and Ocean Jewel finished third and fourth respectively for Joseph O’Brien and Willie McCreery, but Blue Rose Cen was again disappointing.
The winner could now step up to a mile and a half for the first time in a bid to provide her trainer with a ninth victory in the the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, with Coral trimming her odds for Europe’s most prestigious middle-distance event to 20-1 from 25-1.
Mqse De Sevigne’s owner-breeder, Edouard De Rothschild, told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s a dream, she’s improved a lot and is from a family that gets better with time and with age.
“She’s even better at five than at four and she’s giving us a complete dream. I was telling my children, it will not happen that often!
“We go to the Prix Jean Romanet to prepare for the Arc de Triomphe, that is the route that we discussed.”
Revealing Fabre had told him at the end of last year the Arc would be the aim this season, he added: “Meandre (half-brother to Mqse De Sevigne) won (Group One) races over 12 furlongs and the family really stays. I think she’s settling now, so she’s not going to waste energy in the beginning of the course, so I think it would be wrong not to try.
“This victory, in a race that commemorates my family, is particularly dear to my heart.”
A delighted Pouchin said: “She’s firing on all cylinders. The mare is even better than last year. She’s more chilled. I get an incredible buzz from riding her. She has a huge amount of class.”
Blue Rose Cen has so far not replicated her brilliant three-year-old form in three starts for new trainer Maurizio Guarnieri, although she did briefly threaten to take a hand before finishing seventh.
Guarnieri said: “I don’t think straight courses are her cup of tea. She made a first acceleration to take closer order, and when it came to quickening a second time, she was just a bit flat-footed.
“She’s not that far away (from rediscovering her best form). She gave a lot of herself at three and we’re going to mull matters over with the filly’s connections before deciding where to go next.”
