LAURENS returned to winning ways in the best possible fashion as she gained the sixth Group 1 success of her career with victory in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.

In a race run at a lively pace from the off on soft ground at the French seaside track, PJ McDonald and the Karl Burke-trained Laurens bowled along in the centre of the track, with Beshaayir leading a group of three to her left, which included last year’s winner With You.

Laurens had everything on the stretch well over a furlong and a half out, but the final furlong proved to be a long one for her supporters, as Freddy Head’s With You hit her stride to finish with real purpose.

The post came in time, however, with half a length separating the front two and another length and a half back to the previously unbeaten Obligate.

A top-level winner as a two-year-old and three-year-old, Laurens had started this season with a fine second in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, before finishing sixth in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Burke told Sky Sports Racing: “People were calling whether we should have kept her in training, including John (Dance, owner) - really, he was having second thoughts and thought he’d made the wrong decision.

“But she’s a high-class filly and still showed us at home that she had plenty of ability.

“Watching it live there, she looked like she had them all at it at halfway, I know she did her usual bit of not overdoing herself in the last furlong, but 50 yards from the line she had the race won.

“I always look at the horses behind us when we’re travelling well and they all looked in trouble at halfway, I was hoping PJ would kick early and go nick a length or two.

“It was closer than I thought, but she does that to us every time, she doesn’t do a lot when she’s in front.”

Asked about future plans, the North Yorkshire-based handler said: “I haven’t had a talk with John yet, but we’ve got the Prix Jean Romanet, I’d be quite happy to run her there if she’s fit and well, but I’m not sure John wants to step her up to the mile and a quarter.

“If we don’t go there, I’d imagine we’d just wait for the Matron (at Leopardstown on September 14th).”