Tag Archive for: Prix Rothschild

Arc-bound Mqse De Sevigne gives Fabre another Group One triumph

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 shown her brilliant best this season
Blue Rose Cen has so far not shown her brilliant best this season (Andrew Matthews/PA)

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.”



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Blue Rose Cen must bounce back from stuttering start to season

Blue Rose Cen will attempt to get back to winning ways when she returns to a mile in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Sunday.

It will be the first time the daughter of Churchill has run at the distance since winning last year’s French 1000 Guineas, excelling at 10 furlongs when also landing the Prix de Diane and Prix de l’Opera under the care of Christopher Head.

She is yet to find the scoresheet in two starts for new handler Maurizio Guarnieri, finishing fifth in the Prix d’Ispahan on her return before being well held in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot when ridden for the first time by Christophe Soumillon.

Soumillon is again in the saddle on the Normandy coast and although Blue Rose Cen was given a short break after Ascot, her handler is confident she is in good shape ahead of this Group One assignment.

“She will run on Sunday and I think she is all right but not 100 per cent, because after Ascot we gave her a little break,” said Guarnieri.

“She takes her time to come back to her best form and now she is okay, but two weeks ago she coughed, so I have not been too hard with her. But she is OK now.

“She has won before at one mile, but the difference this time is it is the first time she races up the straight (mile). Normally, she has a good change of speed, so we will hopefully stay covered and then change speed in the final furlong.”

Mqse De Sevigne pictured at Deauville
Mqse De Sevigne heads back to Deauville (Scoopdyga/France Galop)

Andre Fabre’s Mqse De Sevigne defends her title having made it two from two in the early stages of the 2024 season.

The five-year-old claimed a Listed prize on her reappearance before marching on to the Prix d’Ispahan – a race that has a strong look to it, with runner-up Horizon Dore running well behind Auguste Rodin in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

Prix de la Foret scorer Kelina is another from the home contingent with top-level form to her name, while both Joseph O’Brien’s Falmouth Stakes third Rogue Millennium and Willie McCreery’s Ocean Jewel make the trip from Ireland.



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Fabre dominates Prix Rothschild as Mqse De Sevigne prevails

There was no joy for the British and Irish raiders as Mqse De Sevigne led home an Andre Fabre-trained one-two in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.

Fabre had won the Group One contest five times in the past and became the race’s leading trainer as his consistent four-year-old Mqse De Sevigne came home ahead of stablemate Life In Motion.

Jockey Alexis Pouchin, who was winning at the highest level for the first time, was in no rush aboard the filly as Prix Jean Prat runner-up Sauterne and Kelina led the field along, with Ralph Beckett’s race favourite Remarquee travelling powerfully on the wing and Royal Ascot winner Rogue Millennium held up in rear.

As the likes of Remarquee began to wane in the closing stages, the stealthily ridden Fabre pair emerged as the main dangers to the ever-game Sauterne and it was Mqse De Sevigne who had a bit extra in the tank as she led home a one-two-three for the home team, fittingly in the colours of the Rothschild family.

The winner had been campaigning over 10 furlongs but owner Baron Edouard De Rothschild was persuaded by Fabre to drop the filly back in trip, a move which proved successful on the Normandy coast.

“I think it is tremendously wonderful for the stud and all the team that work very hard and I am delighted,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

“When Nashwa won the Falmouth Stakes, Andre Fabre called me and said I think we should do the same and drop back in trip.

“He picked out a race at the end of August, but I said no, the entries for the Prix Rothschild are over but we can supplement her and we did.

“It’s a fantastic result for the team and I am delighted.”

Pouchin said: “It’s a great moment for me, and I want to make the most of it! Monsieur Fabre had asked me not to force the pace as the filly was stepping down somewhat in trip.

“We had a very good race, even if the filly who we were tracking folded very tamely. When I asked my filly to pick up, she responded perfectly. After the post, all the jockeys congratulated me. I can scarcely take it all in!”



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Rogue Millennium chasing Group One glory at Deauville

Rogue Millennium will bid to give Tom Clover his first Group One success when she lines up in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Sunday.

The Newmarket handler enjoyed the biggest day of his training career when his stable star struck Duke of Cambridge Stakes gold at Royal Ascot and connections now hope to extend that winning feeling as they make the journey to France.

The four-year-old, who is owned by the Rogues Gallery syndicate, has spent most of her time racing over 10 furlongs, including when a close second to Free Wind in the Middleton Stakes at York on her penultimate start.

However, it was a drop back to a mile which proved fruitful when successful at the Royal meeting and Clover sees little reason to change things.

“When we ran her in the Middleton, she just travelled so strongly from off the pace when we tracked through Free Wind and she just looks sharper in her work now,” explained Clover.

“Even earlier in the season she was working well with some decent six- and seven-furlong horses and I just thought she is really sharpening up. She travels so well and it is hard to have a horse to take her far enough through her races she just travels that well. We won over a mile, so it makes sense to stay at a mile.”

He went on: “She has taken the Rogues and us on a terrific journey all the way through her three-year-old and four-year-old years and it’s wonderful to be lining up in a Group One again.

Rogue Millennium winning at Royal Ascot
Rogue Millennium winning at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“Obviously it was a fantastic day at Ascot and one we will always remember, but let’s hope we can continue on the path we’ve been going on.

“She’s been very consistent this year and I hope she can maintain that consistency. She seems well and has been since Ascot and hopefully we have some luck. It would be great if she can run a big race.”

John and Thady Gosden’s Grande Dame was disappointing when sent off one of the co-favourites for the Ascot contest Rogue Millennium won, but has solid Group One form to her name having finished third in last season’s Sun Chariot.

Thady Gosden said: “She improved through the year last year and she didn’t run until Ascot this season on ground that was quicker than ideal for her.

“It’s only her second start of the year and it’s a small field of similarly-rated fillies.

“She’s Group One placed from the Sun Chariot last year and she certainly deserves to take her chance in what looks a relatively open Group One.”

Meanwhile, Ralph Beckett’s Remarquee is another to bring fine efforts at the highest level to the table.

The daughter of Kingman had only Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Tahiyra ahead of her in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and then faced the unenviable task of tackling an on-song Nashwa when second in the Falmouth Stakes.

That outing was Remarquee’s first appearance in the ownership of Wathnan Racing and she now gets the opportunity to add to her victory in the Fred Darling earlier in the campaign before a well-earned break.

“We are conscious it is her third run in a fairly short space of time, but we are going to give her a break next, win, lose or draw,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for the owners.

“She has come out of Newmarket in great form. She’s still quite green and still learning her job.

“She came up against Nashwa at her best last time and that is a hard task for any filly. She ran a great race and she has never ran a bad race, so hopefully she can run another good race in France.”

Sounds Of Heaven after winning at York
Sounds Of Heaven after winning at York (Mike Egerton/PA)

Jessica Harrington’s Sounds Of Heaven was a head behind Remarquee when third at Royal Ascot and is making just her fifth career appearance, while there is a strong home challenge which includes Prix Jean Prat runner-up Sauterne.

Patrice Cottier’s filly was second to Carlos Laffron Parais’ Kelina in the Prix de Sandringham before that and they will lock horns once more, with Andre Fabre’s pair of Life In Motion and
Mqse De Sevigne are both dropping back in distance for their shot at glory on the Normandy coast.

Hedi Ghabri’s Tairann completes the field of nine.



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Clover outlines Rothschild aim for Rogue Millennium

Rogue Millennium will remain at a mile for the Prix Rothschild following her victory in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Having run predominately over 10 furlongs for her first nine starts, astute trainer Tom Clover decided to supplement the four-year-old for the Group Two contest and drop her back to a mile for the first time.

The gamble paid off spectacularly, as the daughter of Dubawi stayed on smartly from a modest pace under Danny Tudhope to beat Random Harvest by a neck, and thus gain a third career success.

Her Newmarket handler is still pinching himself at recording his first British Group-race victory.

“It’s nice when a plan comes together,” said Clover. “It was just the most incredible day – it was a really, really special day and it is only just all sort of sinking in now, I suppose.

“It just been fantastic. You work your whole life towards it. It is fantastic, just superb.”

Rogue Millennium, who is owned by the Rogues Gallery syndicate, will now head to the Group One contest at Deauville on July 30.

“I would say she will go to the Prix Rothschild, “ said Clover. “It gives us a really nice time frame. It’s five weeks. We didn’t put her in the Falmouth. She didn’t love the Rowley Mile last year and the meeting on the July course, it is quite tight between Ascot and Newmarket.

Group-race success is still sinking in for Tom Clover
Group-race success is still sinking in for Tom Clover (John Walton/PA)

“I just feel you’d have every chance if you went straight to Deauville instead, so that’s what she will be training for.”

He added: “It’s lovely to see her getting quicker and she’s sharpening up all the time and actually, not to go very quick and to still get up and win was great.”

Rogue Millennium has had four runs already this term and with her trip versatility now confirmed, Clover admits there are plenty of potential avenues she could follow.

“There are all these lovely options now, though how we run in France I suppose will dictate where we go to a certain extent,” he said.

“She went in her coat quite quickly last year and she comes to hand very early in the spring, so it is really hard to know where we will be later in the season.

“The dream, the absolute dream, would be to even think about taking on the boys in the QEII, but that’s very far-fetched at the moment.

“Let’s think about the Rothschild now and take it from there.”



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