Mqse De Sevigne wrapped up her Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe preparations with a stunning last-to-first victory in the Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville, keeping her unbeaten record for the season intact.
The talented mare, trained by Andre Fabre, had already won the Prix Rothschild and the Prix Jean Romanet last summer. This year, she was a strong favourite to repeat the double under Alexis Pouchin.
Settled at the back of the five-horse field for most of the 10-furlong race, the five-year-old made her move in the straight and fought hard to secure victory by a head, with her jockey ensuring she did not exert herself too much.
Joseph O’Brien trained the second and third-place finishers, American Sonja and Maxux, while Blue Rose Cen delivered her best performance of the season so far, finishing a close-up fourth.
Following her victory last year, Mqse De Sevigne stepped back to a mile for the Sun Chariot at Newmarket, where she was second to Inspiral. This season, she will tackle a mile and a half for the first time, aiming to give Fabre his record-extending ninth win in the Arc.
Coral has adjusted her odds to 33-1 from 20-1 for Europe’s premier middle-distance race, but Fabre remains eager to see her compete at ParisLongchamp in early October.
“She’s a great mare, beautiful and possessing all the qualities you expect from a well-bred thoroughbred,” Fabre told Sky Sports Racing. “She consistently wins by a nose or a short head. The Arc is the plan, and we will stick to it—she will go straight for the Arc.”