Just as well that I steered clear of the ante post market on the Prix de Diane (Chantilly 3.05 BST) as the front two in the betting have both defected in favour of the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot next Friday (Falakeyah supplemented), where they are the current front two in the betting but with Zarkava’s granddaughter Zarigana favoured after being awarded the Pouliches by the local stewards.
The Diane is hard to assess despite there being a lot of runners with intertwined form. Sand Gazelle was a remote fourth in the Pretty Polly behind easy winner Falakeyah before finishing third at Newbury in a race where subsequent Oaks sixth Revoir was a half a length ahead. That does not look good enough form today. The main French trial, the Prix Saint Alary was won by Gezora against just three rivals. Prior to that she was well behind one of those rivals and Mandanaba in the Prix Vanteaux. Prix Cleopatre winner Zia Agnese looks up against it here as that was far and away her best career effort, previously winning twice on the kitty litter at Chantilly and Deauville. Christophe Head’s Rosa Salvaje won a conditions race over course and distance last time but was well beaten behind Zarigana in her previous two starts and was behind Shes Perfect in one of those races. D’ores Et Deja’s best career effort looks like a third to Gezora in a Group 3 and she comes here after winning a maiden race at Compeigne. Ed Walker’s raider American Gal won a Listed race at this track last time, where Francis-Henri Graffard opponent Cankoura finished fourth. That one subsequently won a Listed race but will not have the assistance of Barzalona today as he sticks with Mandanaba. That leaves us with the main form race that connects many of the field: the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas). Shes Perfect passed the post first but the stewards subsequently awarded it to Zarigana. A length behind in third was Mandanaba with Better Together fifth, Bedtime Story sixth and Merrily last. Obviously there are two furlongs further to go today and the race may not turn into a sprint like Longchamp. Would it be foolish to think that Merrily is here as a pacemaker? Wayne Lordan has won one Classic from the front this term. Bedtime Story has failed to trouble the judge in her last three starts and there has to be a question about her staying this trip. When it comes to questions about the trip then there must be doubts for Shes Perfect, Charlie Fellowes filly beaten by Zarigana in the Prix de la Grotte before reversing placings in the Pouliches until the stewards intervened. The extra distance should be no problem for Mandanaba, owned by the Aga Khan’s daughter, so I expect a big run from her; however, Colin Keane, who was on Bedtime Story in the Pouliches, gets the leg up on Juddmonte’s Prix Imprudence winner BETTER TOGETHER who finished one place ahead of her. I am taking a chance that she will stay as it is not guaranteed in her pedigree but the way that she finished at Longchamp gives the impression that she will.
The three other Group races for thoroughbreds on the card have some foreign interests.
Two of the five in the Prix du Bois (1.05) hail from Karl Burke’s operation and his unbeaten filly Ali Shuffle might be the one to give local colt Imperial Me Cen most to do, that one having won a Vichy Listed race last time.
There is no raider in the Prix Du Lys (5.00), which looks a trappy contest. Andre Fabre is doubly represented by easy maiden winner Hotheaded, a Frankel colt, and Oracle, beaten by the highly regarded Daryz in a valuable conditions race last time. The favourite may end up being Listed winner Surabad in the Aga Khan colours for the Graffard/Barzalona combination.
Wathnan Racing are represented in the Prix Bertrand du Breuil (5.35) by Make Me King and Ed Bethell sends over Listed winner Point Lynas but neither of those look good enough even at Group 3 level. There is much better form to be found amongst local runners, such as Vertbois chasing home Tribalist in the Group 2 Prix Du Muguet, previous Group 3 winner Zabiari winning both his races this term including last time over course and distance; and disappointing former Poulains winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi, winner of the 2024 race.
British punters might want to take a look at the Listed Prix Pawneese (4.25), where William Haggas runs Chorus, a remote third to Estrange at Haydock last time, against the Prix Allez France runner-up Mme Jourdain and the once-raced Nantes maiden winner Latakia, under Colin Keane in the Juddmonte silks. The British layers have the raider as favourite but I think Fabre’s grey filly will be favoured on the PMU.
