This year’s Prix de Diane looks a riveting prospect given the elevated level of fillies declared for Sunday’s classic. While the domestic contingent is undeniably strong, there is no shortage of quality hailing from the UK and Ireland.
It is Blue Rose Cen who is attracting most of the attention. In landing the Poule d’Essai last month, she provided Christopher Head with his first classic. Winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac at two, she has never raced over 2100m, but according to her handler, she should not be inconvenienced by the longer trip.
Impressive winner of the Prix Saint-Alary, Jannah Rose, in contrast, is not lacking on the staying front. A filly of considerable class, she is expected to play a leading role. Pensée Du Jour has not run since winning the Prix Pénélope on 1st April but is highly-regarded at home and there is no shortage of confidence concerning her chances.
John and Thady Gosden will try to put Running Lion’s Oaks misadventure behind them. Justifiably held in high esteem by the father-son team, she has a realistic prospect of stamping her mark on the Chantilly showpiece. Elusive Princess ran second in the Saint-Alary and was supplemented on Wednesday for €66,000 but has a few lengths to make up in order to win. Aidan O’Brien’s Never Ending Story could finish only fifth in the Poule d’Essai that day and will also need to step up her game.
Second to Blue Rose Cen in her last two races, Lindy was unlucky in the Poule d’Essai. She should suit the Chantilly profile and according to Christophe Ferland, distance is not an issue. As for the beautifully-bred Left Sea, she won a Longchamp Listed last weekend, and while Carlos Laffon-Parias is taking something of a gamble, she nevertheless represents an interesting outsider.
Source: French PMU
French horse racing in June offers an exciting and varied calendar, featuring prestigious events such as the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, the Prix La Coupe, the Prix de Diane, the Grand National du Trot and the Prix du Président de La République.
The pandemic years have been rich with surreal imagery. Vacant office space where once there was none, silent schools once brimming with students, public transport with few passengers, empty or closed stadiums, theatres and other entertainment venues, a population that kept its distance and remains masked to this day. The list goes on, but the second day of the Year of the Rabbit recalled an image that no one ever imagined they would see in the turf capital of Hong Kong – horse racing held behind closed doors without trackside punters as an anti-infection measure.
Arrowfield Group’s John Messara says engagement with Australian horse racing has “grown” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
