Saffron Beach scores Group One win in Prix Rothschild

Saffron Beach struck Group One gold for the second time with an impressive display in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.

Unbeaten in two juvenile starts, Jane Chapple-Hyam's stable star finished second to Mother Earth in last season’s 1000 Guineas before turning the tables to land the Sun Chariot in October.

Having kicked off her four-year-old campaign by finishing fourth in Dubai, Saffron Beach claimed Royal Ascot glory in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes in June and was the 3-5 favourite on the PMU (8-11 industry SP) for her French debut.

Just as she did at the Royal meeting, Saffron Beach forced the pace from the off under William Buick, with Aidan O’Brien’s Tenebrism positioned in her slipstream and the Paddy Twomey-trained Pearls Galore leading a three-horse group that raced closer to the stands rail.

With Pearls Galore weakening out of contention, it turned into a three-way fight between Saffron Beach, Tenebrism and the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Malavath racing inside the final furlong.

Tenebrism, bidding to supplement her Group One victory in the Prix Jean Prat three weeks ago and in receipt of 7lb from Saffron Beach, did her best to make a race of it, but Chapple-Hyam’s charge found more once challenged and won going away at the finish.