Whistlejacket saw off the late thrust of Rashabar to provide trainer Aidan O’Brien with a fifth victory in the Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday.
Winner of Newmarket’s July Stakes before finding Babouche too strong in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last weekend, Whistlejacket was a 2-1 favourite to follow Orpen (1998), Fasliyev (1999), Johannesburg (2001) and Blackbeard (2022) by claiming Group One success in France.
Always to the fore and with the rail to help, Whistlejacket was in front entering the last of six furlongs and responded to Ryan Moore’s every call.
The Brian Meehan-trained Rashabar, a shock 80-1 winner of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, had to throw down his challenge widest of all in the hands of Sean Levey, but emerged as the biggest threat.
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However, try as he might, the Holy Roman Emperor colt could never quite get on terms with the winner, who was three-quarters of a length in front at the line.
Daylight emerged best of the home team in third, with Arabie in fourth for Karl Burke, whose previously unbeaten Norfolk Stakes winner Shareholder proved disappointing, being very keen early on and eventually finishing last of nine.
O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing: “Really it was the boss’s [John Magnier] decision, he felt he could do the two, the Heinz [Phoenix Stakes] and the Morny.
“He’s a very fast horse, a typical No Nay Never, very quick. Ryan said the same, he had all the guns all the way.
“He came out of the race [last week] very well and I’m delighted. Ryan felt the Irish race didn’t go quite the way he wanted, he felt two of them got together very early and the Curragh is a tough track.
“Ryan gave him a brilliant ride as always. He’s a Middle Park-type horse and probably a Breeders’ Cup-type horse.”
Mqse De Sevigne completed her Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe preparations as she came from last to first to maintain her unbeaten record for the season in the Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet on the same card.
Andre Fabre’s talented mare won the Prix Rothschild and the Romanet last summer and was long odds-on to repeat the double in the hands of Alexis Pouchin.
After being settled at the rear of the five-strong field for much of the 10-furlong contest, the five-year-old was produced to challenge in the straight and knuckled down well to claim victory by a head, with her rider keen to ensure she did not have a hard time of things.
Joseph O’Brien saddled the second and third in American Sonja and Maxux, with Blue Rose Cen running her best race of the season so far in a close-up fourth.
Following her victory 12 months ago, Mqse De Sevigne dropped back to a mile in the Sun Chariot at Newmarket, finishing second to Inspiral, but this season she is set to step up to a mile and a half for the first time in a bid to provide her trainer with a record-extending ninth victory in the Arc.
Coral eased her odds to 33-1 from 20-1 for Europe’s premier middle-distance contest, but Fabre is nevertheless looking forward to seeing her line up at Longchamp in early October.
“She’s a great mare, she is beautiful and has all that you can expect from a well-bred thoroughbred,” said Fabre.
“Keep in mind that she wins all her races by a nose or a short head. That [Arc] was the plan and it will stay that way. We will go straight for the Arc.”
