Al Wukair Upsets Inns of Court in Jacques Le Marois
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Photo: John Gilmore
Al Wukair and Frankie Dettori (red cap) win the Jacques Le Marois in a close finish
Frankie Dettori flew overnight from Chicago to Deauville, then treated fans to his trademark flying dismount after he rode Al Wukair to a narrow win in a tight three-way finish in the Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard-Jacques Le Marois (G1) Aug. 13.
Al Wukair, a 3-year-old Dream Ahead colt, settled in third place early in the one-mile race as Thunder Snow showed the way with Tareef in second.
Approaching the 100-meter mark, Thunder Snow was challenged by both his Godolphin stablemate Inns of Court and Al Wukair, with Al Wukair tightly sandwiched in the middle of his rivals.
The matter was not decided until the final strides with Al Wukair putting a nose in front of Inns of Court to win, as Thunder Snow settled for third, a neck further behind. The top three were trailed by Trais Fluors, who had nowhere to go a furlong out, Taafeef, and Gold Luck.
Al Wukair, carrying the Al Shaqab colors, finished in 1:38.51 over soft going. It was his second win of the season and followed a third-place showing behind Churchill and Barney Roy in the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas Stakes (G1) at Newmarket and most recently a second to Taareef in the Prix Messidor (G3) at Maisons-Laffitte.
The Jacques Le Marois is one of Europe's key mile events with past winners including some of the greats of recent racing history—Miesque, Goldikova, Excelebration, Moonlight Cloud, Kingman, and Ribchester are among the previous winners.
Dettori made the quick return flight to Europe after riding Saturday at Arlington International Racecourse, where he finished 10th aboard Mekhtaal in the Arlington Million XXXV Stakes (G1T), ninth on Zipessa in the Beverly D. Stakes (G1T), and third piloting Afandem in the Secretariat Stakes (G1T).