DERMOT Weld’s Almela was a well-backed favourite for the Group 2 Qatar Prix de Royallieu but she was never able to peg back the well-fancied The Juliet Rose, who made every yard of the running in the hands of Stephane Pasquier.

The jockey quickened things up with a furlong and a half left to run and finally dominated the final stages. The Juliet Rose won by three lengths from Almela, the only four-year-old in the race, and Sotteville was a further four lengths away third.

Nicolas Clement has done well with the daughter of Monsun. She took the Prix de Royaumont in June and was then very unlucky in the Prix de Diane Longines before finishing a respectable third in the Qatar Prix Vermeille. Pasquier said: “She ran a super race and was very calm today. The filly is maturing with age and went when I asked her.”

Clement added: “She’s a very consistent filly who’s hardening with every race. She was bought as a yearling by investors (South African) to start a breeding operation in Europe. With wins in the Royaumont and now the Royallieu, she’s done her job. I believe The Juliet Rose will stay in training at four.”

Dermot Weld was pretty satisfied with Almela. He reported: “We were giving weight to the winner but, once again, she ran well. She is incredibly consistent and stayed on to the end. Up until now, the filly has just run over a mile and a half and I feel she likes a longer trip. She will be entered in the Prix Royal-Oak (closed last Wednesday).”