Kingman’s champion son Palace Pier made it back to back wins in the Group I Deauville Prix Jacques Le Marois (1600m) in France overnight cementing his position as the best miler in Europe.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori, Palace Pier had to work hard to defeat Newmarket 2,000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare by a neck.
Undefea
ted this year, Palace Pier was having his first start since winning the Group I Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and was underdone for this race according to his trainer.
“I've made no secret of the fact I lost a lot of time with Palace Pier and that he had a blood disorder. I'll be absolutely frank with you, we've come here on the bare minimum of work, but his class got him through,” said John Gosden.
“He's blowing hard, but if you don't come for the Jacques le Marois it's a rather pointless year, we always wanted to come back here. I ran him on 80 per cent fitness, he's got the class and the jockey.
“It's full marks for him, he was definitely tiring in the last few strides, that's because he was ill and missed a lot of time. It was a superb race full of fabulous horses, the second horse is made of iron.”
Purchased for 600,000 guineas at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book One from the Highclere Stud draft by his trainer, Palace Pier runs for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum and has the impressive record of nine wins from 10 starts.
He is the best of two winners from Beach Frolic a half-sister by Nayef to Group II winners Bonfire and Jovialty.
Palace Pier is the best of 39 stakes-winners for Invincible Spirit’s champion sire son Kingman, who had a filly sell for 950,000 at the Arqana Sale to top the first session, read about her here..
Australian breeders can access the bloodline here this spring with Coolmore set to stand Kingman’s first son to stud Calyx at a fee of $13,750.
