Coronation Time

So far, everything that Queen’s Jewel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) has done has had the hallmark of stardom attached, and Sunday’s G1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly is poised to provide the Wertheimer homebred with her rightful crowning moment. Always highly regarded by Freddy Head, the chestnut has managed to look abundantly green but ultimately vastly superior to her peers in the G3 Prix Penelope over this trip at Saint-Cloud Apr. 14 and the 10-furlong G1 Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp a month later. On the latter occasion, she overcame a slow start and lazy mid-race 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 Jon and Julia Aisbitt’s Malabar (GB) (Raven’s Pass) and Lady Bamford’s Star of Seville (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}). The former, who took last year’s G3 Prestige S. at Goodwood, was fourth in the May 3 G1 1000 Guineas 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 commented. “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 G3 Musidora S. in the G1 Epsom Oaks 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 Gerard Augustin-Normand, Charley Lauffer and Elisabeth Vidal’s unbeaten Mojo Risin (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). While she has avoided the Parisian trials, the bay showed more than a dash of quality when taking the Listed Prix Caravelle over this trip at Toulouse last time Apr. 25, and may have the edge over stable companion Stay the Night (Arch). Joseph Allen’s homebred was a latest third behind Little Nightingale (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}) and the subsequently disappointing Epsom Oaks runner Al Naamah (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a blanket finish to the G3 Prix Cleopatre over this distance at Saint-Cloud 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 Henri Devin’s unbeaten Chantilly conditions scorer Physiocrate (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}) and Stall Nizza’s May 24 G2 Diana-Trial winner Nightflower (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}). Bringing further European flavor is Scuderia Effevi’s Sound of Freedom (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), the four-length winner of the G3 Premio Regina Elena over a mile at the Capannelle Apr. 26 who then returned there to beat all the colts bar stable companion Goldstream (Ity) (Martino Alonso {Ire}) in the G2 Derby Italiano over 11 furlongs May 17.