Circus Maximus survives inquiry in Prix du Moulin de Longchamp

Circus Maximus (4-1) beat Romanised by a nose in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp at a mile on turf at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, but kept the win only after an inquiry into the stretch run.

Circus Maximus, ridden by Ryan Moore drifted out in the final sixteenth which forced out 2-1 favorite Romanised. The order of finish was not changed.

The result could lead to an appearance in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 2 for Circus Maximus, who is trained by Aidan O’Brien for the Niarchos family and the Coolmore partnership. Another option is the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes going a mile at Ascot on Oct. 19.

In the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, the top race of the fall season for milers in Paris, Circus Maximus stalked the pace before taking the lead with a furlong remaining from Romanised, who raced in the middle of the field of 10 for the first half-mile.

Romanised, who won the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, France, in August, finished a length clear of Line of Duty, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Churchill Downs last November.

The $496,620 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp was Circus Maximus’s second Group 1 win of the year, and first against older horses. He won the St. James’s Palace Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile at Royal Ascot on June 18.