Palace Pier beats Poetic Flare by a neck in Deauville Palace Pier narrowly denied Poetic Flare to claim back-to-back victories in the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville. Defeated only once in nine previous career starts, Palace Pier was favourite to make it four from four for the season under Frankie Dettori, having missed last month’s Sussex Stakes at Goodwood following unsatisfactory blood test results. Always travelling strongly, John and Thady Gosden’s stable star moved smoothly into contention on the outside of the field, with Jim Bolger’s 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes hero Poetic Flare delivering his challenge close to the stands’ rail. In receipt of 6lb from his older rival, Sussex Stakes runner-up Poetic Flare did his best to claw back Palace Pier inside the last half-furlong, but Dettori’s mount was always doing enough to hold him at bay. A neck was the winning margin, with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Order Of Australia another length and three quarters back in third to make it a clean sweep for the visiting party. Jessica Harrington's Alpine Star, runner-up to Palace Pier in last year's renewal, trailed home last of the eight runners on this occasion. John Gosden told Sky Sports Racing: “I thought it was very clean race. They went a pretty sensible pace, with Order Of Australia controlling it and he’s finished third, so it was not a race to be sitting out the back. “We were second-last and they quickened and quickened. To that extent it was a bit of a test of speed. “He’s done it well. I’ve made no secret of the fact he was ill with a blood disorder and missed the Sussex. “I’ve come here on the absolute minimum of work — he’s probably come here at 80 per cent. “As Frankie said, his class got him through, but he’s having a pretty strong blow. I was 10 days short for this race, but they weren’t going to move the Jacques le Marois!” Paddy Power cut Palace Pier to 7-4 from 2-1 for Ascot’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, a race in which he finished third last term. Gosden confirmed his charge will head straight for Champions Day in October, but raised the Qipco Champion Stakes as a potential alternative to the QEII. He added: “He’s a gorgeous horse and a lovely horse to be around. He’s got this amazing cruising speed and acceleration, (but) I wouldn’t be frightened of stepping him up to a mile and a quarter. “I think we’ll wait for Champions Day. When you run a horse like this, don’t come back too quick, so we’ll wait for Champions Day and possibly run over a mile or even a mile and a quarter.” When asked if Palace Pier could run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November, Gosden said: “That’s a long way off. Del Mar is a track I’m very fond of, I’ve had a lot of success there and a lot of good friends there, but that’s a long way down the road at the moment." Paddy Power go 7/4 (from 2/1) about the winner for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot and 7/1 (from 10s) for the Champion Stakes.
