Kingman proved once again that there is not a thoroughbred in training in Europe that can hold a candle to his turn of foot after registering a bloodless victory in the Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville on Sunday.
Under a perfectly timed ride from jockey James Doyle, Kingman recorded his fourth Group 1 win in succession with a two-and-a-half-length verdict over Anodin, the French colt ridden by Olivier Peslier.
Trainer John Gosden walked the course a few hours before the 1,600-metre event and gave the go-ahead after heavy rain had softened the turf at the Normandy course. He later said it was the decision of owner Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia to run, and that Kingman would not be seen again until Ascot in October.
The plan is now the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, which has always been the end-of-year objective, he said.
“You had to be impressed with the way he went and won his race,” Gosden told the Press Association.
Kingman became the first horse to win both the Sussex Stakes and the Prix Jacques Le Marois since Sayyedati, owned by Mohammed Obaida, although that filly won the French race in 1993 and claimed the Sussex Stakes two seasons later.
Kingman’s reputation is now such that it is questionable how many horses will turn up at Ascot.
He faced only four rivals yesterday, beat just three others in the Sussex Stakes just over two weeks ago at Goodwood and finished ahead of six horses in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. With small fields, it is almost impossible to beat the son of Invincible Spirit, the 2002 Sprint Cup winner, as a true pace to blunt his acceleration is harder to achieve.
Eddy Hardouin and Red Dubawiran went to the front after 50 metres, since nobody seemed interested in leading. Rizeena was placed off a dawdling pace by Ryan Moore, while Anodin was in third alongside Olympic Glory, ridden by Frankie Dettori. Doyle tracked the pace out the back.
After 600 metres, Dettori was clearly anxious to keep tabs on Kingman, and in a 15-second period, he looked through his legs three times to check on the positioning of the favourite.
Doyle waited until Dettori was looking elsewhere to make his move and angled his mount to the outside in order to unleash a run down the centre of the track.
There was little doubt of the result as he drew alongside Olympic Glory and powered to the line.
Kingman’s time of 1 minute, 40.90 seconds was the slowest since Dettori steered Godolphin’s Librettist to victory in 2006.
“It’s a shame they went so slowly early on, because then it turned into a dash to the line,” Doyle said.
“I wasn’t sure that he would be able to go and do his usual thing on the ground, but he was just the same Kingman when I asked him to pick up as he’s always been.”
Dettori and Moore flew in from Chicago on the morning of the race after competing at Arlington Park on Saturday. Moore rode a Grade 1 double there, partnering Adelaide to win the Secretariat Stakes and Team Valor’s Euro Charline to win the Beverley D.
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