Marois Report: Palace Pier and Alpine Star reign over European mile
Photo scoopdyga.com
Sunday, August 16, 2020, Deauville. - Celebrated at Royal Ascot in the St. James's Palace Stakes (Gr1) and the Coronation Stakes (Gr1), Palace Pier (Kingman) and Alpine Star (Sea the Moon) annihilated the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois (Gr1), a mile championship contested on a yielding ground this year.
The race was first led by the middle of the course by Pretreville (Acclamation) and Circus Maximus (Galileo) ahead of Alpine Star and the French favourite Persian King (Kingman). Ridden by Lanfranco Dettori and trained by John Gosden, Palace Pier took on Alpine Star, who had made her move early, three hundred yards out and the two 3-year-olds gradually put themselves out of reach. Unbeaten in 4 races at the start of this major consignment, a first against aged horses, Palace Pier made a clear difference then and even though he switched off by the post, he succeeded his sire Kingman by ¾ of a length over a brave Alpine Star, Circus Maximus concluding five lengths down the field, three lengths ahead of Persian King…
Alpine Star and Circus Maximus belong entirely or in part to the Niarchos family, sponsor of the race via the Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard and already 9 times winning owner of this summer championship ...
A stablemate of Mishriff at John Gosden's yard, Palace Pier has blessed the Deauville audience with another great performance, a day after his Newmarket buddy. Sold for £ 600,000 at the Newmarket sales, the 3-year-old is now unbeaten in five outings. He had defeated Pinatubo in the St. James’s Palace Stakes (Gr1).
The third dam of Palace Pier is Miss d'Ouilly (Bikala), a Listed winner for her breeder, Jean-Luc Lagardère, and bought £ 50,000 at the Tattersalls breeding sales full of Night Frolic (Night Shift), Palace Pier's second dam, by John Warren ...