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.