Leading miler Palace Pier is set to next be seen over in France in the Jaques le Marois where he is looking to defend his Group One title, with another crack in the QEII a possibility at Ascot in October if all goes to plan.
The son of Kingman has been pretty much faultless to date, winning both his starts as a juvenile, starting at Sandown back in August winning a nice maiden and then going on to back that up over the same course and distance.
He made his seasonal debut at Newcastle on the all weather seeing off a stern effort from the Richard Fahey trained Acquitted but off the back of that he improved a massive amount to hunt down Pinatubo late in the day at Royal Ascot in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
Having four wins from four races, he put his unbeaten run on the line in the Group One Jacques Le Marois and in heavy ground cleared away from the field with the Jessica Harrington trained Alpine Star the closest to him.
That set him up perfectly for his final run of the season in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day, but unfortunately he had to settle for third and lost his unbeaten record, unfortunately losing a shoe mid-way through the race.
The best racehorse in the world delivers! Palace Pier and @FrankieDettori win the Queen Anne Stakes! #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/ggbv2lwhjC
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 15, 2021
This term, he has been better than ever in his three starts making his seasonal debut at Sandown in the Group Two bet365 Mile and in a race to blow the cobwebs away he took the event by eight lengths.
Fully tuned up for the season, he took on the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury over a mile and again sauntered to victory, with him and Lady Bowthorpe going clear in the final stages.
His early part of the season was all targeted towards his run in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and in gritty style me made it three wins from three for the season.
Set to turn up in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood he was pulled out with a blood disorder, but now said to be back on track he will head over to Deauville for the Jaques le Marois and if coming out of that well he could head back to the QEII looking to land the race for the first time.
Gosden said: “He had a blood disorder right after the Queen Anne and had to miss the Sussex Stakes – but all being well he’ll be in the Jacques le Marois at Deauville, and then we’ll take it forward from there.
“The QEII is a definite possibility again. But he’s also entered for the Champion Stakes, and it would be interesting to see him at a mile and a quarter.
“It’s still a long way off, so we’ll see.”