Librettist scores at Deauville

Librettist could not have written a better script for himself in Sunday's Prix Jacques le Marois as he overcame a very soft turf course to notch his first Group 1 victory in the $768,000 Deauville mile.

A 4-year-old son of Danzig, Librettist reeled in the pacesetting Ramonti approaching the furlong marker, then held off the late challenges of Manduro and Peeress to record a neck victory. The favored Stormy River, winner of the Prix Jean Prat, was fourth, 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner. Running on ground that was all wrong for him, the 2.90-1 Librettist, owned by Godolphin, got the straight mile in 1:43.10.

Godolphin completed a big day in Europe when their Cherry Mix won the 1 1/2-mile Group 1 Rheinland-Pokal at Cologne by four handy lengths from Fracas.

At the Curragh on Sunday, Holy Roman Emperor defeated Hellvelyn to take the $384,000 Phoenix Stakes and become this year's first juvenile Group 1 winner in the Northern Hemisphere.

Ridden by Kieren Fallon, Holy Roman Emperor was a 1 3/4-length winner as the 8-5 co-favorite with runner-up Hellvelyn, clocking 1:11 flat for the six furlongs on good to firm ground. It was the ninth Phoenix victory for trainer Aidan O'Brien, who won the race last year with George Washington - who, O'Brien reports, is on schedule for either the Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown next Sunday or Goodwood's Celebration Mile on Aug. 27.

Holy Roman Emperor, who was 15th, 7 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Hellvelyn, in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20, will now be wheeled right back for the six-furlong Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville next Sunday.