By Tom Frary
High fashion and summer celebration moves from Ascot to Chantilly on Sunday, with the G1 Prix de Diane Longines the feature prize. Imad Al Sagar's 'TDN Rising Star' Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) comes off a fine third in the Oaks over a mile-and-a-half trip that may have stretched her and provided she is suffering no major hangover from that effort is primed to provide Hollie Doyle with her first Classic.
With honours roughly even in recent times between the French and the visitors, she presents a major obstacle to the home defence which has been successful in only three of the last seven editions. Al Wasmiyah Racing's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Zellie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Juddmonte's G3 Prix Penelope winner Agave (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) have favourable low draws and spearhead a four-strong assault from the Andre Fabre stable. The former, who was fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas, moves up in trip but there is ample stamina on the dam's side which features the high-class Pride (Fr) (Peintre Celebre) while Agave boasts Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) as a relation. She had looked potentially special until meeting her nemesis in Saint-Cloud's G2 Prix Greffulhe and, while she was undone by Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in that May 8 contest typically used as a Derby prep, time may prove that she faced a tough task against that colt.
Join The Ride
Alongside Zellie and Agave, Andre Fabre also has Al Shaqab Racing and Ballylinch Stud's G3 Prix Cleopatre winner Place du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and the Wertheimers' impressive May 29 ParisLongchamp conditions winner Babala (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). Place du Carrousel's form has a line to the Oaks via the Cleopatre third Kawida (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}) and, if taken literally, that leaves her with something to find with Nashwa but Fabre is a master of the targeted slow-build and she is unlikely to have been too close to a peak on that occasion. Subsequently second to Above the Curve (American Pharoah) when asked the impossible in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp May 29, she has a draw in eight which is on the verge of acceptable and provided she isn't positioned too far back by Mickael Barzalona will be making her presence felt late.
Doleuze's Dream Girl
Team Valor International's relentless pursuit of Classic glory continues apace on Sunday with the filly owned in partnership with Marco Saviozzi, Nadette (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}). She had Jean-Claude Rouget's chief Diane hope Yukata (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) back in third, with the highly-regarded Juddmonte-Fabre project Raclette (GB) (Frankel {GB}) further behind, in the nine-furlong Listed Prix Finlande at ParisLongchamp May 19.
“She's in full bloom,” commented trainer Romain Le Dren Doleuze, the son of Georges Doleuze who won this on Dunette (Fr) (Hard to Beat {Ire}) in 1979 and brother of Olivier who also captured it on Egyptband (Dixieland Band) in the millennium year. “We let her develop in her own time as a 2-year-old by allowing her to grow into her frame during the winter. Now we're reaping the rewards.”
Daisy, Give Me Your Answer Do
Gitte Poulsen-Allaire gets the chance to have her colours carried in a Classic by a genuine contender in Daisy Maisy (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who was behind the re-opposing Times Square (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) and Rosacea (Ire) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) when fifth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp May 15. The wife of the prominent trotting figure Philippe Allaire, her filly was also second in the G3 Prix de la Grotte there Apr. 17. Trainer Yann Barberot said, “She will be my first runner in such a prestigious race and I'm really happy. It's a challenge with a fun element and I think that the longer distance should suit her. If the thunderstorms materialise and the ground eases, it won't be a problem. Her breeder, Thierry de la Héronnière, came to see her and he concluded that she has done very welĺ physically. A gorgeous type, she almost looks like a colt. The Allaire colours are going great guns, as they again made their mark in group contests [for trotters] at Vincennes last Saturday. I hope that the filly won't embarrass them.”
Key Support
In the supporting races, there are a pair of bluebloods fit to grace the day in The Aga Khan's 'TDN Rising Star' Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the Wertheimers' Goldistyle (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The former, who was labelled a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut at Deauville in October, beat the subsequent Listed Prix Ridgway winner Haya Zark (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) in a conditions event over this trip at Saint-Cloud Mar. 29 and meets Godolphin's May 15 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains third Tribalist (GB) (Farhh {GB}) in the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac Longines over a mile. Goldistyle, a daughter of Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa), tackles the G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines having looked more than ready for the challenge when taking the May 15 Listed Prix Maurice Zilber. In the G3 Prix du Bois Longines, Scuderia Semeso and Sebastiano Guerrieri's impressive May 22 Listed Premio Alessandro Perrone winner New Collection (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}) flies the flag for the Italian juveniles. The G3 Prix du Lys Longines, a warm-up for the G1 Grand Prix de Paris, sees the May 1 Listed Prix de l'Avre winner Martel (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) represent the Wertheimer-Fabre link.
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