Economics made a striking return to the track with a commanding win over Royal Ascot victor Jayarebe in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville.
Since his dominant performance in the Dante at York, the three-year-old has been a topic of much discussion. Despite interest in supplementing him for the Derby, connections chose to bypass that race.
A much-anticipated showdown with the Derby winner City Of Troy in the Eclipse did not materialise, with William Haggas opting for this Group Two race for Economics' comeback instead of the Juddmonte International at York next week.
The Prix Guillaume d'Ornano was no walkover, featuring strong competitors like Brian Meehan’s Jayarebe, Ed Walker’s Almaqam, and the promising Bright Picture trained by Andre Fabre.
Initially, it seemed Sean Levey had given Jayarebe an advantage as he led the chase, creating a three-length gap while Tom Marquand worked to get Economics into gear. However, Economics soon accelerated and took control, winning comfortably with Almaqam finishing a distant third.
As a result, Economics' odds for the Irish Champion Stakes, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and the Champion Stakes at Ascot were significantly shortened.