Prix de Diane day at Chantilly

Easily the best racing of the day comes from Chantilly, where the Prix de Diane fixture is one of the most glamorous days in French racing. Almost every winning run comes to an end, as we saw last night with Big Brown, but it will be a sensation if Zarkava (Alain de Royer-Dupré/ Christophe Soumillon) fails to win the Diane, the French Oaks over 2100 metres which is due at 16.15 CET. She has won all her 4 starts in such authoritative manner that she can clearly be rated the best filly in Europe, and easily holds Goldikova (Freddie Head/ Olivier Peslier) on their running when first and second in the French 1,000 Guineas. The only possible flaw in her armour is that she has never run beyond a mile, but her pedigree suggests that she should have no problem with the extra 500 metres and her superior class should prove decisive, with Goldikova possibly again the main danger. Royer-Dupré has 3 further irons in the fire, and Belle et Celebre (Ioritz Mendizibal), who beat Gagnoa (Andre Fabre/ Johnny Murtagh) in the main trial, and Leo´s Starlet (Frankie Dettori), unbeaten in 3 starts but at a much lower level, could both run into the money. Fabre also saddles Proviso (Stephane Pasquier), so far disappointing this year, while Aidan O´Brien´s Kitty Matcham is possibly the best of the foreign runners, though it could be significant that Murtagh has chosen to partner Gagnoa (in the same ownership). The supporting card features two Group Three races over a mile, the Prix Paul de Moussac for 3yos at 15.00 and the Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord half an hour later for older horses. In both races there is a German runner, but it will be a surprise if either manages to win, although Andreas Wöhler´s Balios (Soumillon), 4th in the Mehl-Mülhens, could run into a place in the former event, but Molly Max (Karen Haustein/ Dominique Boeuf) is struggling to find his best form and is an outsider for the latter event, which could go to Spirito del Vento (Jean-Marie Beguigné/ Peslier) for the second time. Aidan O´Brien´s Mount Nelson (Murtagh) is a big danger.