Prix Jacques le Marois (Group 1)

A competitive international affair with ten going to post for one of Europe’s richest mile races worth €1m: a pair from Japan, a pair from England, a pair from Ireland, taking on four from France.

The English

Willie Haggas sends More Thunder with Tom Marquand in the saddle. He’s the market leader, having finished runner-up in two Group 1’s this year, the Lockinge and Queen Anne, and last time out he finished fourth in the G2 Summer Mile behind fellow traveller, Karl Burke’s Zeus Olympios, the mount of Clifford Lee. He’d previously finished third in the Lockinge and fourth in the Queen Anne.

The Japanese

Hiroyasu Tanaka sends Sixpence under Yutaka Take, and Ryo Takei sends Strauss with Joao Moreira in the plate. The former is a double G2 winner at home and last time out took the G1 Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo from Gala Force, who, before that run, went down 4L to Ombudsman in the Dubai Turf at Meydan. The latter was a Listed winner in Abu Dhabi, where he’d beat July Cup winner Commanche Brave by 2L. Last time out in the Champions Mile in Hong Kong, he was well beaten, trailing in twelfth of fourteen.

The Irish

Thesecretadversary winning at Leopardstown

Aidan O’Brien sends Precise out to bat once again under Ryan Moore. She’s won the Irish 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes this term but found Blue Bolt too good the last twice, going down 2L in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket, then only a ½L separated them here at Deauville in the Prix Rothschild a couple of weeks ago. Fozzy Stack Thesecretadversary will be reunited with Christophe Soumillon, who won the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, following up in the Prix Jean Prat when beating True Love a½L.

Precise winning at the Curragh

The French

Francois-Henri Gaffard’s Rayif leads the home defence under Mickael Barzalona. He won the Poule d’Essai Des Poulains but failed to justify favouritism in the Prix Jean Prat when 2¼L behind Thesecretadversary in fifth.

Dreamliner, No Lunch, and Sir Tommy Cen make up the field and are all outsiders.

Conclusion

A few on a retrieval mission: More Thunder, Rayif, and Precise. Others looking to enhance reputations: Sixpence, Zeus Olympios, and Thesecretadversary.

Sixpence is underrated in the market at 16/1 and could spring a surprise. Precise has proven herself high class; she bumped into one in Blue Bolt when caught in the Rothschild. Thesecretadversary was a cosy winner in the Jean Prat over 7f. The Irish pair can battle it out, with the latter coming out on top.

Recommendation

Thesecretadversary 13/2 win

Thesecretadversary and Precise Reverse Forecast