The four-year-old Saffron Beach had too much at the finish for her three-year-old rivals Malavath and Tenebrism; Jane Chapple-Hyam's filly could now be set for the Breeders' Cup, with the Matron Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes other potential options
Tuesday 2 August 2022 15:47, UK
Saffron Beach proved just too strong for her younger rival Tenebrism, claiming a second Group One in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Tuesday.
The four-year-old filly - sent off the 8/11 favourite - had to knuckle down under a William Buick drive, first holding off the threat of three-year-old Malavath under Christophe Soumillon before pulling away from Tenebrism and Ryan Moore who looked to challenge late.
Jane Chapple-Hyam's four-year-old finished second to Mother Earth in last year's 1000 Guineas, before landing the Sun Chariot Stakes and bolted up in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
But the Deauville success is arguably a career best, giving weight away to two younger rivals in Tenebrism for Aidan O'Brien and Francis-Henri Graffard's Malavath, eventually winning by two-and-a-half lengths at the line.
Moore - who bagged two Group Three victories earlier on the card - and Tenebrism clung on for second, looking to possibly need a drop back to the seven-furlong trip after winning at that distance last time out.
Winning jockey Buick was visibly impressed by the four-year-old filly's efforts after the race, saying: "She's super easy and she's very, very good.
"She loves her work. She worked about 10 days ago and she was in really, really good form.
"She came out of Ascot well, had a nice break and we knew today she came here in great form. She really put it to bed in the last 100 yards and she's a really classy filly.
"When they are like her, it makes the job a hell of a lot easier. She's a very valuable commodity now and fair play to Jane, she's done a fantastic job with this filly and she's a very good trainer."
Chapple-Hyam was similarly full of praise, and nominated a potential end-of-season Breeders' Cup tilt for her stable star.
"She's in the Matron at Leopardstown and the Sun Chariot at Newmarket and if that all goes well, hopefully the Breeders' Cup," said Chapple-Hyam.
"We saw that she travelled well to Dubai and travelled well over here so those concerns we feel have ticked the box.
"We are very grateful to the owners for allowing me to train her and a good team effort from everyone back at Abington Place."
