'He's the best miler I've ridden' - Palace Pier denies Poetic Flare in thriller

Not all Group 1s are created equal but those present at Deauville on Sunday and watching around the world may struggle to remember a better mile race in recent years, as Palace Pier and Poetic Flare delivered on the promise of their much-anticipated meeting in a thrilling Prix Jacques le Marois.

It was Palace Pier who defied both a ferocious challenge from the younger horse and a compromised preparation to lift the prize for the second time, becoming the first back-to-back Marois winner since Spinning World did so 24 years ago.

Frankie Dettori described Palace Pier as “the best miler of my career”, while co-trainer John Gosden underlined just what a near-run thing it had been to even make his date with history.

'The Champion Stakes is probably not the right race or time to try ten furlongs'

“I’ve made no secret of the fact that I lost a lot of time with him,” he said. “He had a blood disorder and I couldn’t run him in the Sussex, and we’ve come here on the complete minimum of work.

“Frankie reported that he came there smoothly and his class got him through. He’s blowing hard, but it’s the Jacques le Marois and if you don’t come to the Jacques le Marois, it’s rather a pointless year. We always wanted to come back here but I’ve run a horse who is only on 80 per cent.”

Gosden added: “His class got the jockey and me through but full marks to him. He was just tiring towards those last few strides, but that’s because he was ill and he missed quite a lot of time that you can’t afford to lose coming into a Group 1.”

The race unfolded with the two major players moving forward on opposite wings, with Dettori not travelling as comfortably as his Irish-trained rival and Kevin Manning appearing to be lobbing up the rail on Poetic Flare.

Ascot on Champions Day looks the next stop for Palace PierCredit: France-Galop/ScoopDyga

Neither wanted to commit too soon and a burn-up ensued over the last two furlongs, with Palace Pier looking the more likely to win until one final lunge from Poetic Flare cut the margin to a fast-diminishing neck, while last season’s Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Order Of Australia stayed on well to take third.

Gosden said: “It was a superb race and the second horse is made of iron, while Order Of Australia ran a great race. There’s fabulous horses in there. I would have loved to have brought him here like he was last year at 100 per cent. He wasn’t but he’s still run a great race and he’s got a great turn of foot.”

While Betfair trimmed Palace Pier to 7-4 (from 2-1) for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Gosden said a first try at a mile and a quarter was far from out of the question in the Champion Stakes on the same Ascot card, a target for which Paddy Power went 7-1 from 10.

Prix Jacques le Marois full result

He said: “I think we won’t rush back and maybe wait for the Champions Day and he’ll be in both races, the QEII and the Champion. We may well consider stepping him up in trip.

“I haven’t been so nervous before a race for a long time. I told [wife] Rachel [Hood] before ‘I’m ten days short’ but class got him through.”

Dettori may have been nursing Palace Pier through the first half a mile, but he was left in no doubt of the magnitude of what his partner had just achieved when things got serious.

“I love the horse, he’s the best miler I’ve ridden,” said Dettori. “He’s beautiful, he’s got pace and goes on any ground. We were rushed to get him here today after we lost a bunch of work. I said to John we got him here on 80 per cent. He's just so good and we got away with it.

Palace Pier and Frankie Dettori after their second win in the Jacques le MaroisCredit: Kitty Trice

“I got on the tail of Mickael [Barzalona on Victor Ludorum] and kept an eye on Kevin. When he kicked [on Poetic Flare] I went after him. Basically I raced on my own for the last 200 metres. I passed him and then Kevin fought back. He’s so good that he keeps on doing it.”

The Poetic Flare camp can have nothing but immense pride in the way their dual Group 1 winner ran in another brave effort in what has been a busy campaign.

Representing her father Jim Bolger, Una Manning said: “We were very happy with the horse, he performed very well. It just proves he needs that good ground. Kevin was very happy and said he was just beaten by a better horse on the day. He travelled really well and it just proves that the ground is key to how he runs.”

Order Of Australia also played his part in a thrilling climax to the race and was a length and three quarters adrift in third, while Midtown was first of the two Andre Fabre-trained runners home back in fourth.

Of Order Of Australia, Aidan O’Brien said: “He's a miler and he might get a bit further, that was a very good run from him though and we were very happy with him. We'll see how he comes out of the race and make a plan but we were delighted with his run.”

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