3 minute read
Jessica Harrington’s star lifts the Prix Jacques le Marois
Alpha Centauri continued her fantastic campaign with an impressive victory in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.
Jessica Harrington’s filly has arguably been the star of the season so far, following up her Irish 1,000 Guineas triumph with scintillating displays in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket.
She was a 10-11 favourite to claim a fourth successive Group One victory in France and her supporters will have had few nervous moments.
Colm O’Donoghue positioned Alpha Centauri on the heels of With You near the stands rail before angling out and allowing his mount to stretch racing inside the final half-mile.
Once again the response was superb as the Irish challenger found another gear to leave her rivals trailing in her wake.
Recoletos was best of the rest in second ahead of With You in third.
The Ken Condon-trained pair of Success Days and Romanised finished in midfield, ahead of Eve Johnson Houghton’s shock Queen Anne Stakes victor Accidental Agent.
Harrington said: “She’s an amazing filly. I must admit, bringing her here to take on colts and older horses, I thought I must be mad. But then again, I felt we might as well keep her going and it was a fantastic performance.
“Three furlongs down she decided it was time to go, which was longer from the finish than I’d hoped, but I could see on the screen that she had the group on the far side behind her and once given her head, she just kept going away from them.
“When she does that, you hope she’s not burning up too much energy because there are several possibilities now.
“She’s in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown, the Sun Chariot at Newmarket and the mile at Ascot (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes) and if she does make it through to the Breeders’ Cup, it will have been a very long season by then.
“She’s given me a few sleepless nights, I have to admit that, but it’s not quite like training Moscow Flyer as there are no fences to worry about!
“I really want to see how she is before making a definite plan and she will be back home in her stable tonight.”
Charlie Bishop, rider of Accidental Agent, felt something may have been amiss, adding: “He was never going at any stage. That isn’t his true form.”
