By Tom Frary
Heavy ground must have played against TDN Rising Star Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois, but such is the prowess of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's unbeaten colossus that he duly overcame with a cosy success in one of the best renewals of Deauville's feature in recent times. Settled last early by an ever-confident Frankie Dettori, the 13-10 favourite who came to prominence in the June 20 G1 St James's Palace S. at Royal Ascot moved to Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and the lead with 300 metres remaining. Pushed out from there as that G1 Coronation S. heroine battled gamely, he hit the line being eased down with a 3/4-of-a-length margin to spare. Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) gave the form genuine substance, five lengths adrift in third. “He's a true champion and that was a great performance,” Dettori said. “He handled the ground well, but he'd be better on good or faster and I would rate him very high among all the best milers I have ridden. Maybe the best is yet to come, as he could be a horse for next season.”
Having missed the G1 2000 Guineas due to lack of match-preparedness, Palace Pier went in to battle with Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) and Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never) at Royal Ascot on the back of two Sandown juvenile wins and a comeback success in a mile handicap on Newcastle's Tapeta on Guineas day June 6. Frankie had just partnered Alpine Star to glory in the Coronation when teaming up with this colt in the St James's Palace and when she was the target to aim at inside the final two furlongs of this contest he understood the magnitude of the task. He also knew what he had underneath him, having given up a whole Ebor festival for the privilege of riding him here and the winner paid back that faith to deny the Niarchos filly and draw away from serious older milers. They included the defending champion Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and TDN Rising Star Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), who both found the testing surface against them.
John Gosden said of Palace Pier, “I think it was pretty clear watching the race that he wasn't enjoying the ground. I saw Frankie moving his hands and he was still fully 600 metres from home, but the horse showed a lot of guts and a lot of class. His main target will be the [G1] Queen Elizabeth II on Champions Day at Ascot. Everything will revolve around that, although most importantly everything depends on how the horse feels once we get him back home.”
The Niarchos Family's racing manager Alan Cooper said, “They both ran very well and the filly was excellent again and was coming back at the end, while Circus Maximus did his best as usual. Obviously, the 3-year-olds looked superior today and we have to be positive and think that these were good performances from both of ours. The filly could go for the [G1] Prix de l'Opera and we'll wait with Circus Maximus and discuss plans with Aidan and our partners.”
There was very little in Palace Pier's pedigree to suggest that this type of ground would be a good fit, with the two most notable half-siblings of his unraced dam Beach Frolic (GB) (Nayef), the G2 Dante S. winner Bonfire (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) and this stable's G2 Windsor Forest S. and G3 Musidora S. scorer and GI Beverly D S. third Joviality (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), doing best on a sound surface. The third dam Miss d'Ouilly (Fr) (Bikala {Ire}) is a half-sister to the 1995 Jacques le Marois heroine Miss Satamixa (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), who produced the GIII Cardinal H. winner Miss Caerleona (Fr) (Caerleon). She is in turn the dam of another former Gosden luminary in Karen's Caper (War Chant), who was successful in the G3 Nell Gwyn S., GIII Noble Damsel Breeders' Cup H. and GIII Eatontown S. and also finished runner-up in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and the G1 Coronation S.
Miss Caerleona was also responsible for the GII Davona Dale H. winner Miss Coronado (Coronado's Quest), who later produced the stakes-winning Arethusa (A.P. Indy) who was also third in the GI Las Virgenes S. This is the family of the triple group 1-winning 1,000 Guineas and Irish Oaks heroine Blue Bunting (Dynaformer) and top-level sprinter Comicas (Distorted Humor). Beach Frolic's 2-year-old colt Tiger Beetle (GB) (Camelot {GB}) was bought by SackvilleDonald for 300,000gns at the Tattersalls October Book 2 Sale, while she also has a yearling colt by Highland Reel (Ire) and a colt foal by Almanzor (Fr).
Sunday, Deauville, France
PRIX DU HARAS DE FRESNAY-LE-BUFFARD JACQUES LE MAROIS-G1, €600,000, Deauville, 8-16, 3yo/up, c/f, 8fT, 1:38.06, hy.
1–PALACE PIER (GB), 125, c, 3, by Kingman%20(GB)#tot">Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Beach Frolic (GB), by Nayef
2nd Dam: Night Frolic (GB), by Night Shift
3rd Dam: Miss d'Ouilly (Fr), by Bikala (Ire)
(600,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Highclere Stud & Floors Farming (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. €342,840. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 5-5-0-0, €541,934. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Alpine Star (Ire), 121, f, 3, Sea The Moon (Ger)–Alpha Lupi (Ire), by Rahy. O/B-Niarchos Family (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €137,160.
3–Circus Maximus (Ire), 130, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Duntle (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). O-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €68,580.
Margins: 3/4, 5, 3. Odds: 1.30, 6.30, 7.10.
Also Ran: Persian King (Ire), Romanised (Ire), Pretreville (Fr), Restiany (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
