First visit to Chantilly for the Prix de Diane, so having to post early...
Warning for those planning on making the trek there for this year’s Arc: looking on the France Galop website, normal entry for this fixture costs €20 (twice the cost for the Prix Du Jockey Club) and Arc day is €30 at the gate.
Only three foreign raiders have snatched the prize in the last twenty years, although one of them was Star of Seville last year, giving Frankie Dettori a second success. Eight years ago Zarkava was victorious and three years ago it was Treve. There do not appear to be any strong candidates for the Arc double in this year’s field – and it has only been done a handful of times.
The top-rated runner today is one of the raiders, Ballydoyle, not seen since chasing home stablemate Minding at Newmarket. She is joined by Coolmore, who would have to find a lot to feature here. Last year’s winning stable is represented by Swiss Range, victorious in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Guineas meeting, form franked at Royal Ascot by Even Song. The home team is led by the Pouliches winner La Cressonniere, who ought to have enough stamina for the extended ten furlongs and will surely be favourite on the PMU. Her stablemate, beaten Pouliches’ favourite Qemah, won at Ascot to frank the form. Those that represent the most trouble to the Pouliches winner are stablemate Jemayel (winner of the Prix Saint-Alary, the main Diane trial, with Camprock second and Left Hand fourth) and the supplemented pair Volta (won the Prix De Sandringham on Prix Du Jockey Club day) and Highlands Queen (won Group 3 Prix Cleopatre over trip).
There are two Group 3 races on the supporting card but it does not look like either will present a decent betting prospect. In the race before the Diane, the Prix Bertrand Du Breuil, last year’s Newmarket 2000 Guineas runner-up Territories contests the mile event against pretty ordinary looking opposition, having warmed up with third in the Prix Du Palais-Royal behind Attendu and Esoterique. Last season’s Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Impassable makes her debut but her penalty means she has to give Andre Fabre’s colt weight.
The other thoroughbred Group race is the third race on the card, the Prix Du Lys, but with just six facing the starter and substantial PMU deductions it is hard to think that any of them will be great odds. Canessar has won both his starts this year but steps up in trip, Spring Master won over course and distance, as did twice-raced Maniaco and thrice-raced filly Golden Valentine. It would be ironic if one of them turned out to be the Arc winner but currently an unheralded improver.
There is another Group 1 race on the card, the Qatar Derby Des Pur-Sang Arabe, but what I know about Arab race form would not cover a postage stamp...
