Marie Velon secures first Group 1 as Iresine returns Gauvin to the big time

Sunday: Longchamp

The number of calls Jean-Pierre Gauvin has received in the last two years from people attempting to take Iresine away to Australia has only been eclipsed by those from agents suggesting a more high-profile jockey to replace Marie Velon on the now Group 1-winning son of Manduro.

Gauvin resisted both temptations on numerous occasions and his team were rewarded when Iresine put up a striking performance on to win the Prix Royal-Oak on his first try at the trip.

Chris Hayes must have thought he had his rivals covered aboard Search For A Song and may not have quite believed his eyes when Iresine appeared on his inside like he had been parachuted into the race in the false straight.

"I'm really amazed by this horse today," said Gauvin, the man who lived a fairytale with Prix du Jockey Club winner Saonois a decade ago. "Marie rode him perfectly – although she's ridden a lot of good races on him before – and to canter into a race of this level on what was his first try at the distance and on really deep ground, he's just an extraordinary horse.

"I was reassured all the the way through because she got him beautifully relaxed and although he was in behind horses, he wasn't crowded and he was never that far away form the leaders."

Gauvin added: "The plan was to let him come between horses in the straight and although he found himself on the inside where the ground might not have been the best, it was the right choice to go the short way round.

"I was worried it might have all opened up too quickly and Marie said the same afterwards but he never looked liked cracking."

Iresine blitzed his rivals over a mile and a half in the Prix Foy and it was through lack of an alternative Gauvin opted to go up in distance.

Jockey Marie Velon and trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvin (second from right) savour victory with Iresine in the Group 1 Prix Royal-OakCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

Velon has spent her whole career at Gauvin's base between Lyon and St Etienne and has grown in stature with Iresine.

"We didn't know his limits before today and I'm not sure we do now," she said. "He's a really good horse to win like that and I never imagined winning a Group 1 in that style.

"I'm delighted to be able to do it for my trainer and an owner who has always supported me. I'm not sure I can quite grasp what has just happened."

With the caveat that he might not want very fast ground, Iresine appears versatile to the point where you could enter him in the Prince of Wales's Stakes one day and the Gold Cup the next.

As to whether he runs again this season, Gauvin said: "We've looked after him and the obvious desire now is to travel with him. He's been invited to the Japan Cup and that will come up too quickly but we'll consider Hong Kong in December."

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