Quality Rubick colt Jacquinot enhanced his credentials for a future stud career when adding the $750,000 Group I MRC CF Orr Stakes (1400m) to his resume, but the victory was not without drama.
In a fierce battle to the line, the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr trained Jacquinot finished second beaten a short half head by free wheeling So You Think gelding Gentleman Roy, who led for home and refused to give in.
In the last 100m, Gentleman Roy lay out slightly under pressure from Mark Zahra and made contact with the much smaller Jacquinot and stewards deemed the bump was sufficient to affect the result given the narrow margin.
Damian Lane and Jacquinot were awarded the race taking his overall record to five wins from 10 starts with $2.3million in the bank.
“You win them any way you can but he should have won it out here, so the right decision was made,” said Damian Lane.
"He's just a really good horse.
"He just takes a little bit to pick up so when I found my run he was just getting into his work and when he copped that nasty bump I felt I had Gentleman Roy covered before that happened so we have to beat him afterwards.
"The horse has got a great will to win. He's shown that he's adaptable 1200 up to 1400 now so just a really good colt that knows where the winning post is."
Co trainer Mick Price confirmed the Group I MRC Futurity would be next for Jacquinot in two weeks time.
"He's a stud colt and that now gives him two Group 1s and that's very important,” Price said.
"It was severe interference and it is the stewards' job to measure the margin lost in the interference and if the margin lost in the interference is greater than the margin of the race, the margin of the race was a short head so there's no set formula or correct answer but that's the opinion and that's the refereeing.
“He'll go to the Futurity. Same course, same distance, hopefully the same result.
This was the second win for Golden Rose winner Jacquinot under his new ownership group headed by Widden Stud and Qatar Bloodstock in whose colours he runs.
Retained to race by his breeders after passing in as a yearling, Jacquinot was foaled and raised at Coolmore and is the first foal of unraced Pierro mare Ponterro, a sibling to Group I winner Inference, Group II winner Dragon Leap and stakes-winner Illation.
Ponterro had a filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) last spring and was then covered by Rubick’s Everest winning son Yes Yes Yes.
Jacquinot brought up a Group double at Sandown for Swettenham Stud’s Rubick, who also sired Glint of Silver to win the Group II MRC Autumn Stakes.
