Esoterique Leads Fabre Masterclass In the Jacques le Marois

Having already shown her liking for Deauville when winning last year’s G1 Prix Rothschild and finishing second in Sunday’s G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, Baron Edouard de Rothschild’s Esoterique (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) showed the benefit of a week on the Normandy coastline to register a clear career-best win in Sunday’s G1 Prix Jacques le Marois.

Making Shadwell’s luminary Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) graft for his latest sprint success seven days previously over an inadequate 6 1/2-furlong trip, the 5-year-old homebred was more at home over the mile on which she had caused a stir in the Prix Rothschild 12 months ago. Despite Andre Fabre’s intriguing “dark horse” Vadamos (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) being scratched due to a fever, France’s peerless veteran trainer was still able to exercise a stranglehold over this highlight with a stable one-two to compensate that late misfortune. Held up by Pierre-Charles Boudot, Esoterique who was sent off the 10-3 second favorite sliced between rivals and surged to the front approaching the furlong marker before putting the race quickly beyond recall. At the line, she held a comfortable 1 1/2-length advantage over her barnmate and 6-5 chalk Territories (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), whose participation had only been confirmed in the morning due to concerns about the rain-affected surface.

“She is a gorgeous-looking mare and is now much stronger and mature,” Fabre said after greeting his sixth winner of this prestigious feature. “It was always the plan to run last week and bring her back, so it has worked out just perfectly. I had a concern about the ground, but as she is stronger now she was able to handle it well.”

Sunday, Deauville, France
PRIX DU HARAS DE FRESNAY-LE-BUFFARD – JACQUES LE MAROIS-G1, €700,000, DVL, 8-16, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:36.12, vsf.
1–ESOTERIQUE (IRE), 127, m, 5, by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
1st Dam: Dievotchka (GB), by Dancing Brave
2nd Dam: High and Dry (GB), by High Line (GB)
3rd Dam: Photo Flash (GB), by Match II (Fr)
O-Baron Edouard de Rothschild; B-Ecurie de Meautry (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. €399,980. Lifetime Record: 15 starts, 5 wins, 8 places, €1,019,909. *1/2 to Russian Hope (Ire) (Rock Hopper {GB}), Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 14+f, MGSW-Fr & SP-Ger, $346,613; Russian Cross (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), GSW-Fr, $302,468; Archange d’Or (Ire) (Danehill), GSW-Fr, $218,497; Russian Hill (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), SW & MGSP-Fr, $217,127; and Russian Desert (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}), SW & MGSP-Fr, $130,893. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
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2–Territories (Ire), 125, c, 3, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Taranto (GB), by Machiavellian. O-Godolphin SNC; B-Darley (IRE); T-Andre Fabre. €160,020.
3–Wild Chief (Ger), 130, c, 4, Doyen (Ire)–Wild Angel (Ire), by Acatenango (Ger). (€18,000 RNA Ylg ‘12 BBAGO). O-Stall Furstenhof; B-Walter Hacker (GER); T-Jens Hirschberger. €80,010.
Margins: 1HF, 1HF, NO. Odds: 3.30, 1.20, 26.00.
Also Ran: Lightning Spear (GB), Toormore (Ire), Karakontie (Jpn), Belardo (Ire), Estidhkaar (Ire), Spoil the Fun (Fr). Scratched Vadamos (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

At this meeting last year, Esoterique had initially failed to receive full credit for her success as the outsider of a quartet engaged in a tactical renewal of the G1 Prix Rothschild, but she was not winning out of turn having already shown an accomplished level of form. The early part of her career had seen her garner Longchamp’s G3 Prix Vanteaux before finishing a neck second to Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast) in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches back there in 2013, while she had also annexed the G3 Dahlia S. over nine furlongs at Newmarket last May. Fourth in both in the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and G1 Sun Chariot S. returning to Newmarket, she came back at five to be third under a penalty in Saint-Cloud’s G2 Prix du Muguet May 1 before heading to Royal Ascot to try her hand in the June 16 G1 Queen Anne S. Surprising a few with a stellar effort to be a length second to her esteemed contemporary Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) there at 16-1, she confirmed that she was finding a new level of form when making Muhaarar’s supporters sweat here in the Prix Maurice de Gheest a week ago.

Adopting a backing-up tactic employed by Robert Collet with Whipper (Miesque’s Son), who went one better here after finishing second in that sprint in 2004, Fabre also had the precedents set by the brilliant pair of Freddy Head distaffers Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) and Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who made dual appearances at this meeting with great success.

Anchored with only the returning GI Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein) behind as the half-brothers Toormore (Ire) (Arakan) and Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) shared the pace-setting duties throughout the early stages, Esoterique sashayed between rivals as that British-trained duo began to flatten out approaching the last quarter mile. As Territories made a threatening move out wide under Mickael Barzalona, it was his stable companion who drew the eye splitting horses in a narrow channel like only a sure-fire winner can at that stage of a Group 1 race. Given the green light by Pierre-Charles Boudot running to the furlong pole, she needed no further encouragement to display her rude health and win with genuine authority.

“She is very brave and puts her heart into it every time,” her rider commented. “Last time, she met a good horse and has progressed and matured with time. She is a joy to ride now.” Esoterique has a busy late summer and autumn ahead according to Fabre, who added, “We will now take her to Longchamp for the [Sept. 13] G1 Prix du Moulin and then probably go to Newmarket for the [Oct. 3] G1 Sun Chariot S., with the Breeders’ Cup also a possibility later.”

Of the July 12 G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Territories, he said, “He has run a good race and when he made his move I thought he could win it, but he really prefers it when the ground is good.”