Diego Velazquez wins this year’s Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.
On Sunday, Aug. 17, the Grade 1 Prix Jacques le Marois (run over the straight 1,600-meter track) saw a field of 10 runners with two representatives from Japan - the 4-year-old filly Ascoli Piceno, a two-time G1 winner, and the 5-year-old Go To First, who had and has yet to win at the graded level.
In Japan, where betting on the race was offered, fans backed Ascoli Piceno to the favorite, with Go to First a distant ninth pick. However, the expectations (at least on Ascoli Piceno) were unmet with the top three finishing spots going to 4-year-old colts, and the Japanese runners finishing in fifth and sixth place.
In first under Christophe Soumillon was the Aidan O'Brien-trained Diego Velazquez (by Frankel) with a head's length back to Notable Speech, piloted by William Buick in Godolphin colors. Dancing Gemini, with Rossa Ryan up, finished 3/4 length later in third place.
It was the first top-level win for the Sam Sangster-owned Diego Velazquez, who covered the distance in a time of 1 minute 34.23 seconds and won himself a ticket to the Breeder's Cup.
Of Japan's duo, it was, surprisingly, the lesser-lauded Go to First that beat Ascoli Piceno to the finish line. Paired with jockey Mirai Iwata at Deauville, Go to First had previously only won at the three-win level and had only posted a disappointing 12-8 in his two prior graded bids, both Grade 3s.
He did a fine job In the Marois, however, scoring fifth place about 3 1/2 lengths off the top. A 5-year-old by Rulership, Go to First carried the same 60 kg as the four finishers before him, and he carried 1.5 kg more than Ascoli Piceno, who, paired with Christophe Lemaire, followed him a neck later in sixth place.
Jockey Iwata said, "I think it was a convincing race. As discussed with the trainer, I took up position behind the eventual winner and this horse was able to relax in that position. Given the gate we'd drawn (No. 8), I think I did pretty well moving him out in the final stage.
"It was his first race over a straight track and he handled it well. I'm satisfied with the fifth-place result."
Trainer Koichi Shintani lauded Iwata for a race well ridden. "For a moment when he moved him out I thought he just might win but, after all, it was a G1 race and he was no match for the locals familiar with the venue. That said, being able to make the board as a challenger, makes for quite a satisfying result."
For Ascoli Piceno, Lemaire found the lack of pace, despite her excellent late speed, to have been the biggest factor in the filly's poor result. "We got off to a good start and I was able to take up position behind The Lion in Winter (finished in last place) where this horse could race calmly on the rail.
"With the slow pace, however, and being held up a bit in the final sprint, I wasn't able to get her to shift into high gear over the last 400 meters.
"It was a disappointing result but she gave it her all until the end. If there had been just a bit more pace I think we would have been able to do better. It wasn't the course, but the inconsistency of the pace that didn't suit her."
