Irish-trained Thesecretadversary wins Prix Jean Prat at Deauville
Thesecretadversary secured a dominant Group One victory at Deauville, delivering a valuable result for his high-profile owners and extending a remarkable summer for Irish trainer Fozzy Stack.
Thesecretadversary claimed the Group One Prix Jean Prat at Deauville on Sunday, leading from start to finish to claim a second major win this month. The victory completed an Irish-trained one-two, with Aidan O'Brien's True Love finishing strongly in second and French contender Nighttime taking third.
The colt is owned by the Rupert and Magnier families. Securing a Group One over seven furlongs enhances the horse's profile as a future stallion prospect, rewarding the owners' decision to send him to Fozzy Stack rather than keeping him within their primary Ballydoyle operation. "I would like to thank the Rupert and Magnier families for sending us this horse and his last two days have been unbelievable," Stack said.
Thesecretadversary had previously underperformed at the highest level, failing to fire in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Curragh, and encountering trouble in running at Woodbine last year. Despite a demanding schedule that included travel to Canada, Stack highlighted the animal's physical resilience. "He's been on the go since just before Ascot as a two-year-old and we've thrown a lot of things at him but he keeps coming back," Stack said.
With regular jockey Seamie Heffernan suspended, Christophe Soumillon took the ride and adopted aggressive front-running tactics to compensate for a lack of pace in the race. Stack praised the execution, noting he instructed Soumillon: "don't fight with him and just don't get beat."
The trainer indicated the horse may drop even further in distance, potentially to six furlongs. "For a horse we thought would get a mile and maybe a little bit with it, he's getting quicker," Stack said. He noted the horse's grandmother, Scream Blue Murder, was a sprinter, suggesting the colt is "returning to type".
The win caps a prolific July for Stack, who also sent out juvenile Nola Soul to win at Royal Ascot. "If you said to me a month ago I would have had two Royal Ascot winners and then a Group One at Deauville I would have said 'stop it'," Stack said. "It's amazing."
