Prix Royal-Oak (Group 1)

MARIE Velon completed the trio of Group 1 virgin victories in France at ParisLongchamp on Sunday when guiding Iresine to a dominant three-length score in the Prix Royal-Oak.

Chris Hayes must have been confident that Dermot Weld’s Search For A Song would be able to follow in the hoofprints of her younger brother, Kyprios, so impressive in the Prix du Cadran here three weeks earlier, when his mount cruised into a clear lead ahead of some toiling rivals with less than three furlongs of this one-mile, seven-and-a-half-furlong event to cover.

But Iresine was the one member of the chasing pack yet to come off the bridle and, once Velon went for her stick, the Manduro gelding found plenty to justify his position as the 2.1/1 favourite.

Sober was another seven lengths behind in third with a second Irish-trained mare, Tony Mullins’ Princess Zoe, plugging on gamely to secure fourth, a further three and a half lengths adrift.

Mullins later announced that the 2020 Prix du Cadran winner will now be retired. Search For A Song is also retiring to the paddocks.

Huge moment

This was a huge moment for 23-year-old Velon, who will shortly be crowned France’s champion female jockey for the third time and was becoming the third member of her sex to land a Group 1 in France, following Jessica Marcialis in the 2020 Prix Marcel Boussac and Hollie Doyle’s Prix de Diane victory four months ago. Her triumph will have been all the sweeter for having been provided by her long-standing boss, trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvin, who does so well with the limited ammunition that passes through his yard at Saint Cyr-les-Vignes, near Lyon, 250 miles south of Paris.

Gauvin proved with his handling of the Prix du Jockey Club winner, Saonois, 10 years ago, that he can mix it with the big boys when given half a chance, and Iresine should be a major player in Europe’s top staying races for the next couple of years, especially if there is some cut in the ground (and he can avoid Kyprios).