So far, everything that Queen’s Jewel (Pivotal) has done has had the hallmark of stardom attached, and Sunday’s Prix de Diane
(Fr-G1)
at Chantilly is poised to provide the Wertheimer homebred with her rightful crowning
moment.
Always highly regarded by trainer Freddy Head, the chestnut miss has managed to look
abundantly green but ultimately vastly superior to her peers in the Prix
Penelope (Fr-G3) over Sunday’s 10 1/2-furlong trip at Saint-Cloud on April 14 and the 10-furlong Prix Saint-Alary
(Fr-G1) at Longchamp
a month later. On the latter occasion, Queen’s Jewel overcame a slow start and lazy midrace
tendencies to overpower the opposition and win by an unlikely three lengths, and so her
wide draw may not be such a disadvantage.
Queen’s Jewel’s mettle will be tested more fully here, with two above-average English fillies
in attendance in Malabar (Raven’s Pass) and Star of Seville (Duke of Marmalade).
The former, who took last year’s Prestige S. (Eng-G3) at Goodwood, was fourth in the May 3
One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) at Newmarket before finishing eighth in the Irish equivalent three weeks later, but was denied good fortune by being posted in 14 for Sunday’s race.
“That’s the draw we’ve been given, so we’ve just got to get on with it and be as positive as we can,” trainer Mick Channon
said. “The filly is in great form and I just hope nothing else goes wrong.
She’s been a bit unlucky up to now. She ran well (in the Guineas), but then got knocked at
the elbow in Ireland so I’m sure she’ll come right one day.”
Star of Seville was unable to back up her win in York’s Musidora S. (Eng-G3) in the Epsom Oaks
(Eng-G1) nine days ago, finishing
ninth after leading and being cannoned into the inside the last quarter-mile.
Successful three times since 2009, Jean-Claude Rouget is
represented by a duo this time, including the unbeaten Mojo Risin (Lope de Vega). While she has
avoided the Parisian trials, the bay lass showed more than a dash of quality when taking the
listed
Prix Caravelle over this trip at Toulouse last out on April 25, and may have the edge over
stablemate and Joseph Allen homebred Stay the Night (Arch). The latter filly was
a latest third behind Little Nightingale (Muhtathir) and the subsequently disappointing Epsom Oaks runner
Al Naamah (Galileo) in a blanket finish to the Prix Cleopatre (Fr-G3) over
this distance at Saint-Cloud on May 13.
Little Nightingale, who bids to provide the Wildensteins
with a first Diane victory since 2002, remains open to a large amount of improvement along
with unbeaten Chantilly conditions scorer Physiocrate (Doctor Dino) and May 24 Diana-Trial
(Ger-G2) winner Nightflower (Dylan Thomas).
Bringing further European flavor is Sound of Freedom (Duke of
Marmalade), the four-length winner of the Premio Regina Elena (Ity-G3) over a mile at the Capannelle
on April 26 who then returned there to beat all the colts bar stablemate Goldstream (Martino Alonso) in the Derby Italiano
(Ity-G2) over 11 furlongs on May 17.
Later on Chantilly’s Sunday card, it is impossible not to give Andre Fabre’s
chosen representative the spotlight in the Prix du Lys (Fr-G3) after the leading trainer
has been responsible for 15 winners in total and nine of the last 13.
Primarily the key trial for Bastille
Day’s Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1), Sunday’s contest features the
stable’s impressive listed Prix de l’Avre winner Sarrasin (Monsun), who sports the Ballymore Thoroughbred silks, as well as the unbeaten Tambourin (Smart Strike). The latter, who is another off the Wertheimer production line, wears blinkers for the first time after two narrow wins over 9 1/2 and 10 1/2 furlongs here
on March 30 and April 27.
Two other Grand Prix de Paris hopefuls with unexposed profiles from the right connections are the Niarchos Family’s unbeaten May 7
listed Coupe des Trois Ans winner Erupt (Dubawi) and His Highness The Aga Khan’s dual Saint-Cloud scorer Dariyan
(Shamardal).
Sunday’s Prix Bertrand du Breuil (Fr-G3) at
Chantilly is dominated by distaffers, with the most pertinent being last year’s Poule d’Essai
des Pouliches (Fr-G1) and Prix de Diane heroine Avenir Certain (Le Havre).
Only
seventh in the Prix du Muguet (Fr-G2) in her May 1 comeback going a mile at Saint-Cloud, Antonio
Caro and Gerard Augustin-Normand’s star stays at that trip and meets
Godolphin’s 2014 Prix de Sandringham (Fr-G1) winner and Sun Chariot S. (Eng-G1) third Fintry
(Shamardal). Also a touch disappointing in her seasonal bow when fifth as favorite for Newmarket’s Dahlia S.
(Eng-G3) going nine furlongs on May 3, the latter homebred filly has a tough task ahead of her on what should have been a confidence-restoring session.
The Niarchos Family’s Faufiler (Galileo) has something to find on
these two rivals, but the May 19 listed Prix de Montretout scorer may have more to offer, being a daughter of the famed Six Perfections (Celtic Swing).
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