IN the Prix Vermeille, Maxime Guyon needed nerves of steel in the straight. He was always well up on the rail with Baltic Baroness but was short of room when starting his challenge some two furlongs from line.

He switched his filly back to the rail before pegging back long-time leader Pomology in the final stages. The winning distance was a short-head and the Aga Khan’s Dolniya stayed on to take third place a head in front of Treve who made a half-hearted challenge up the centre of the track.

Baltic Baroness had previously been beaten 18 and a half lengths by Treve in the Prix de Diane Longines last year and by 12 lengths in the Prix Ganay back in April. Last year, Baltic Baroness won the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre and a couple of listed races earlier this season before reaching the pinnacle of her career in the Vermeille.

The daughter of Shamardal is owned and bred by Dietrich von Boetticher (Gestut Ammerland).

André Fabre was winning his third Vermeille and his first since Intrepidity in 1993 which followed Jolypha the previous year.

He said: “She is a filly who has never ceased to improve. We always thought she would make it at a top level and that happened today. The idea is to keep her in training next year. She has not been entered in the Arc and the Breeders’ Cup could be an alternative.

“Baltic Baroness is a delicate and anxious filly but one growing in confidence. She needs good ground to show her best.”

After winning his first Vermeille, Guyon commented: “I had a dream of a race and tucked in just behind the leaders. Monsieur Fabre by-passed Deauville because of the bad ground.”

Breeding advisor Crispin de Moubray added: “We were confident before the race and have always considered her a very good filly. She needs good ground and we never doubted her ability to stay a mile and a half.” Pomology was tasting defeat for the first time and she ran her heart out in the hands of William Buick who was fined €150 for abusive use of the whip.

“We had to make the running for the others otherwise there was no pace. I told William to take the lead if there was a risk of a crawl. It wasn’t the best tactic for the filly. She ran a great race and will now go for the Fillies and Mares race at Ascot,” reported John Gosden. Treve was back over the course and distance for the first time since her famous victory in last year’s Arc. Dropped out last, Jarnet extracted the filly to make her challenge up the centre of the track. She was soon running on empty and just stayed on one pace.

Jarnet hit Treve on 12 occasions and was fined €150. The daughter of Motivator appears to have lost her sparkle and Criquette Head-Maarek will have to work a miracle if she is to be spot on for a back-to-back victory in the Arc.

She said: “I am not disappointed and it was a good effort after her layoff. Don’t forget she was just being led around the stable yard for a month after her return from Ascot.

“Softer ground would have helped and there are still a few items to sort out. We must not hurry and see how she comes out of the race.”

One has to ask the question as to whether Treve has trained on at four or whether her seasonal debut left a mark. It came in the Prix Ganay when the filly went under by a short neck to a super fit Cirrus Des Aigles on very soft ground at Longchamp.

A furlong out she held a small advantage but finally could not hold the tough eight-year-old-gelding.