€250,000 Sumbe Jean Romanet (Gr1): Mqse de Sevigné scores first Rothschild-Romanet double

Sunday, 20th August 2023, Deauville La Touques Racecourse (Calvados). – For the first time ever, a filly has won both the Prix Rothschild (Gr1) and the €250,000 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet (Gr1) during the same summer in Deauville. Shortened for the inaugural Group 1 of the meeting, Mqse de Sévigné (Siyouni) reverted to the 2,000-metre/10f distance she was more commonly aligned with previously. With an impeccable run, Edouard de Rothschild's homebred narrowly outpaced the one who had led her, the Irish favourite Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock), who had moved forward from a flanking position going off the bend and veered right in the end.

Always in front alongside the leading Trevaunance (Muhrarar), Above the Curve (American Pharoah) stayed on in third, two lengths behind.

Winner of the Prix Vanteaux (Gr3) last year after her first win and ninth in the French Guineas while clocking the fourth-best time over the last 3 furlongs in a messy race, Mqse de Sevigné was then extended towards 1m2f and more, finishing second five times in her last six outings in this bracket... Supplemented for her winning return to the mile in the Rothschild, she has become the first to double up in the Romanet, 19 years after the race was created.

Mqse de Sevigné is a sister to Méandre (Slickly), winner of a Grand Prix de Paris (Gr1), whose own sister Ondoyante (Slickly), a maiden at the age of 13, was sold barren for €2,500 to Paul Nataf at the Arqana mixed sales in February 2022. A filly by Saxon Warrior was born in 2020, followed by a Kodiac colt. Neither of them has made their debut yet.