A quality renewal of the Jacques le Marois, centerpeice of the Deauville summer meet.

It see’s the return of last year’s winner to defend his crown, star miler, Palace Pier, and Alpine Star who ran second to him in this, for a clash with this year’s star miler, Poetic Flare. Added spice comes with last year’s Breeders Cup Mile winner, Order Of Australia and Victor Ludorum, the Jean-Luc Lagardere winner of 2019 and French Guineas winner of 2020.

John Gosden’s Palace Pier has been imperious this season, in April, he won the Sandown Mile by 9L, in May, he won the Lockinge Stakes beating Lady Bowthorpe, since a winner of the Nassau Stakes, in June, he took the Queen Anne in easy style at Royal Ascot. His next intended target, the Sussex Stakes, was missed with a blood disorder, his trainer decided he’d come straight from Ascot to this.

At Goodwood, wihout Palace Pier, Poetic Flare went off favourite but he was beaten by Alcohol Free with Order Of Australia back in fifth. Prior to that he’d looked top drawer when winning the St James’s Palace Stakes, with Chindit 5¾L behind adding to his 2000 Guineas win, with Chindit 4¼L behind.

Alpine Star has only had the one run this year, Jesssica Harrington sent her to York where she was beaten a short head at Listed level over 1m2f. She’d got a dose of seconditious last year, beaten in the Prix de Diane by Fancy Blue, then by Palace Pier in this, she then found Tarnawa too good in the Prix de l’Opera. If your have such a dose then that’s the one to have.

It’s not been a good year for the French, of the eleven Group 1’s run so far this year in France only four have remained at home. The defence for this lies primarily with Andre Fabre, he run’s two, as well as Victor Ludorum he has Midtown, both run in the Godolphin blue with Victor wearing the blue cap.

Midtown is only trice raced, two wins saw him go off favourite last time out for the Jean Prat here over 7f, he ran third. Victor Ludorum had a dry spell, since taking the Poule d’Essai des Poulains in 2020, he was beaten five times before winning a G3, the Prix Messidor, last time out. Ecrivain a G3 winner last time makes up the home defence.

Jim Bolger likes to race his horses when fit and well. In Poetic Flare he has a very willing partner, he trives on his racing and this will be his seventh start this year, won three, lost three, the record stands, two of the losses were second’s, as well as the loss to at Goodwood to Alcohol Free, he was beaten by stable companion MacSwiney in the Irish 2000 Guineas, his only other run, out of the places, was a sixth in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains when blocked in, he couldn’t get a run.

He’ll have to be on his A game to win this, drying ground is in his favour as is the weight for age allowances he recieves from both his main protangonists Palace Pier and Alpine Star. It hopefully will be a cracker with Poetic Flare coming out on top, likely at bigger odds on the PMU.

Order Of Australia was a good winner on fast ground at the Curragh in the Minstrel Stakes, conditions weren’t in his favour at Goodwood and he can pop up at a price for a place.

Recommendation

Poetic Flare (PMU Return)

Order Of Australia 18/1 ew