Diamond Necklace, too much quality in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, and another G1 for Coolmore
- Turf Diario
- May 10
- 2 min read
The daughter of the star St Mark's Basilica won by a comfortable 3 lengths over The Last Dance in the ParisLongchamp Classic
PARIS, France (Special for Turf Diario).— Class knows no borders, and this Sunday at ParisLongchamp, Diamond Necklace gave a masterclass in superiority to crown herself in the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (G1). The trainee of the master Aidan O'Brien completed a double reserved only for the elite: after reigning at 2 years old in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac (G1), the Coolmore defender returned to the same stage to confirm that she is the undisputed queen of the generation over the mile.
The victory of the daughter of St Mark’s Basilica was a masterpiece of tactical execution. Ryan Moore, in his first official contact with the filly, seemed to take note of the victory of Rayif (Sea the Stars) in the colts' version minutes earlier. With very soft ground that punished those seeking the outside lines, Moore kept the bay near the vanguard on the inside, waiting for the precise moment to launch through the open-stretch. When the filly found the space, her response was immediate and devastating, drawing away with astonishing ease to cross the wire with a three-length advantage.
"I am delighted," expressed a radiant Aidan O'Brien. "She has a lot of natural speed and a great ability to handle the ground, just like her sire. She has progressed tremendously from 2 to 3 years old." The Irish trainer, who now aims for the Prix de Diane (G1) or the Irish Oaks (G1), highlighted the work of his entire team at Ballydoyle and the investment of the Coolmore partners to maintain the excellence of their squad.
Despite the visitor's dominance, local racing sold its defeat dearly. The Last Dance (Iffraaj), trained by Yann and the Argentine Carlos Lerner, delivered a career-defining performance by finishing second. Her rider, Christophe Soumillon, had to navigate traffic and produce his closing run on the outside, which enhances the value of her runner-up finish. "Christophe had been telling me we couldn't beat Diamond Necklace, so today we can say we won the race for the rest of the pack," joked Yann Lerner, who also projects the Prix de Diane as the next goal, though he acknowledged the winner seems "unbeatable."
The spectacular closing note was provided by Green Spirit (Kingman). The filly from the Wertheimer & Frèrefamily, who had to break from the awkward post 14, traveled last until the entrance of the home straight. From there, Maxime Guyon filtered her through the internal zone to sign an epic comeback that allowed her to reach the third step of the podium.
A significant fact for the French industry is that the top two finishers were bred on Norman soil and passed through the Arqana sales ring in Deauville. Diamond Necklace, born at Écurie des Monceaux, was acquired for the record sum of 1.7 million euros, while The Last Dance, from Haras du Cadran, cost 105,000 euros. Two different economic realities united by stakes-winning talent on the most important afternoon for the mile in France.
Comments