Before an open-looking edition of the Prix Rothschild (G1), Andre Fabre credited John Gosden for the decision to supplement Mqse de Sevigne for the first group 1 of the Deauville summer, following a frustrating sequence of second-placed efforts at ten furlongs with the daughter of Siyouni .
This mile test was supposed to be a sharpener ahead of a crack at the Prix Jean Romanet (G1) back at her preferred trip but Mqse De Sevigne adapted to her new task with relish under Alexis Pouchin to lead home Life In Motion for a stable one-two, with Sauterne in third.
The result extended an almost completely fruitless campaign for British and Irish challengers in French group 1s. Remarquee did best of the visitors in fourth and was followed home by Rogue Millennium and Sounds Of Heaven , while Grande Dame failed to figure at all.
Formerly the Prix Astarte, the race was renamed in 2008 to celebrate Guy de Rothschild’s contribution to French racing and the current Baron, Edouard, was forced to hand over presentation duties to his son Louis so he could receive the trophy as winning owner.
Rothschild said of Mqse De Sevigne: “I think she kept finishing second because she doesn’t quite stay 2,000 meters (a mile and a quarter). The day that Nashwa won the Falmouth Stakes, Andre called me and suggested we try 1,600 meters with her in the Prix Quincey, because the entries for this race had closed.
“My only input was to suggest we supplement for this race. The idea was all the trainer’s. We felt that, if she was ever going to be competitive over 1,600 meters, it would be up the straight course at Deauville.”
The Prix Quincey (G3) may now be the project for runner-up Life In Motion, while Fabre will take his time over settling on a target for the winner.
He said: “Life In Motion is pretty easy to place now that she has proved she is sharp enough for the mile. We’ll try to win a race over that distance and we might run in the Prix Quincey here. With Mqse de Sevigny, I was inspired by John Gosden. I’m hesitating whether she runs in the Prix Romanet or not.”
Pouchin only won his first stakes race aboard Simca Mille in April but continues to show he has an ice-cool head on his young shoulders.
“This is a huge moment for me and I want to really take it all in,” he said. “Monsieur Fabre asked me not to force the pace with her too much as she was coming back in distance. We benefited from a very good trip, although the leader came back on top of me earlier than ideal.
“But when I asked her to quicken my filly gave the perfect response. After crossing the line all the other jockeys congratulated me and it’s a little hard to believe it’s really happened.”
Remarquee finished three lengths adrift of third-placed Sauterne, with Ralph Beckett observing: “She didn’t really pick up. That’s her third run in five weeks and maybe that had something to do with it.”
Rogue Millennium was ridden to produce the same sweeping run from the back as the one which took her to success in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes but, having taken closer order at halfway, her challenge failed to develop.
