Laurens Lands Sixth Top-Level Score in Prix Rothschild

Winning group 1s never gets old, and after going three starts without finding her way back to the No. 1 spot, Laurens put in a typically dominant display under PJ McDonald to make it career success No. 6 at that rarified summit of the racing pyramid in the July 28 Prix Rothschild (G1) at Deauville.

Just as typically, having blown the race apart shortly after halfway, she began to idle inside the final furlong and allowed With You to close to within half a length, though there was never a moment when the drama of defeat really loomed. 

Trainer Karl Burke didn't realize the diminished nature of Laurens' success until watching the replay, having mentally banked the result at the furlong marker. 

Asked whether there might be improvement to come after a holdup forced a brief pause in the filly's campaign, Burke was in no hurry to dismiss the idea.

He said: "I would say so. People will say she was tying up in front, but she never does a lot in front. She does it every race. She goes and does her job, and then in the last 100 yards she's half pulling up. You could see coming in here she's not overstressed and not overblowing.

"Thankfully, we made that decision and gave her an extra week of recuperation because that has paid dividends. The last two and a half weeks have gone very smoothly, and my one slight doubt today was that last gallop. I wouldn't have minded another week and another gallop."

All fillies kept in training from 3 to 4 face the question of whether they have stood still or even regressed, but Burke said neither he nor owner John Dance entertained such a question despite defeat against the boys in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes (G1) and the Queen Anne Stakes (G1). 

"At the beginning of the year, we actually thought she was stronger and faster, and her work in the spring was brilliant," said Burke. 

"We probably could have got another 5% out of her going into the Lockinge, but we'd had a long discussion all winter with John and we felt from 2 to 3 she had a very early start with the (QIPCO One Thousand) Guineas (G1), and it told on her at the end of the year. 

"We wanted to finish the year well, and hopefully that's still the plan with maybe the Breeders' Cup (Mile, G1T)."

That remains a realistic aim for the brilliant Laurens, who also has dates in the Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes (G1) and Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes (G1).

Burke and Dance will also discuss the possibility of going back up to a mile and a quarter for the Darley Prix Jean Romanet (G1)—a race the trainer won four years ago with Odeliz—back at Deauville in three weeks' time.

Should that be the choice, she could renew her rivalry with With You, who similarly is being considered for a step back up to a trip over which she narrowly gave second-best to Laurens in The Gurkha Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (G1) last year.

"I was a bit worried after her poor comeback, but I'm delighted with her run today," said With You's trainer, Freddy Head. "She was a bit caught for speed throughout the race, but she finished really well and is ready to stretch out again, so we'll aim at the Prix Jean Romanet."

Obligate ran on to be third after appearing to resent Pierre-Charles Boudot's attempts at restraint, and East was the next best of the British-trained quintet, fading late but far from disgraced in fifth.

Trainer Kevin Ryan said: "(Jockey) Ryan (Moore) said she just ran a touch keen with him, and as he went to win the race, it's cost her. He felt that maybe if he'd ridden her to be placed, she could have been in the first three. She was a bit fresh, but she has run a good race."