After three near-misses since May, the highly touted filly Six Perfections and jockey Thierry Thulliez got the job done in a thrilling edition of the Prix Jacques le Marois (Fr-I) at the expense of her Niarchos Family stablemate Domedriver Sunday at Deauville.
The Pascal Bary-trained 3-year-old defeated the 5-year-old horse Domedriver and Kieran Fallon by a short neck. Japanese rival Telognosis was a length back in third. The final time for the one-mile race contested on the straight was 1:38.3 on good to soft going.
Godolphin's heavy favorite Dubai Destination, midpack in the 12-horse field until pushed along less than two furlongs from home, lacked much closing punch and finished fifth, two lengths behind Special Kaldoun.
Six Perfections had suffered through nightmare trips in finishing second while favored in both the Engish and Irish 1,000 Guineas,both group I races, in May, and was second again in the Prix d'Astarte (Fr-II) earlier this month. The daughter of Celtic Swing has never been worse than second in nine career tries. The French bred gave her breeder/owner its eighth victory in the Jacques le Marois since 1987.
Fifth early near the rail, Thulliez hustled her into the lead a furlong out and held off the determined challenge from Domedriver. The Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) winner, who was far back early, moved up while launching his bid with a furlong-and-a-half to go. The two hooked up a couple of hundred yards from the finish and provided an exciting finish.
"That was a super result and today she has confirmed her top-class quality," Bary told
The Racing Post.. "The filly has a terrific turn of foot and she is now back to her very best. It was wonderful to start two horses and have them take the first two places. Domedriver will without doubt now run in the Moulin de Longchamp.
"Six Perfections has had two races in a fortnight so I will give her a little more time. She has been entered in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot at the end of September."
A happy Thulliez, criticized in Britain for the defeat in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket , said: "We had a wonderful race and made our challenge quite early. The filly has so much speed I swear she would be just as effective over six or seven furlongs. This was a reward for the filly as things didn't go quite according to plan early in he season. She was in beautiful condition today and had a lovely action."
Alan Cooper, the family's race manager, announced that Domedriver is to stand as a stallion alongside Hernando at the Lanwades Stud in Newmarket in 2004.
Frankie Dettori, who rode Dubai Destination, said the favorite disliked the going and was laboring late in the race.
