'She's Our Prix De Diane Filly': Routh Hails Finlande Winner Zayida

She may have missed her initial target this year, but Zayida (Frankel) proved on Tuesday that she is firmly in the Prix de Diane reckoning for the The Aga Khan Studs with a clear-cut win in Chantilly's Listed Prix Finlande.

Only fourth over this nine-furlong trip on her seasonal bow in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix Vanteaux in early April, the granddaughter of Zarkava (Zamindar) had enjoyed a confidence boost in a course-and-distance conditions event later that month and upped her game with a dominant display here.

Always travelling easily stalking the pace under Mickael Barzalona, the Francis Graffard-trained 1-2 favourite opened up from two out to register a five-length defeat of Land Of Liberty (Starspangledbanner), with the Vanteaux runner-up Lethal Beauty (Acclamation) another four lengths away in third.

“We couldn't ask for better and the ground didn't even bother her that much,” Stud director Nemone Routh said. “She's a filly that we have always really liked and obviously we were disappointed with her comeback race, but she wasn't well that day. Today we saw the filly we know and Mickael says she was very relaxed in the race, so it was perfect. She's our Prix de Diane filly.”

In a league of her own!

The beautifully-bred Zayida bounds clear of her rivals to land the Listed Prix Finlande at Chantilly… 🇫🇷 @GraffardRacing | @AgaKhanStuds pic.twitter.com/gKgwsKrnr2

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 19, 2026

The Listed-winning dam is the third of six mares bred by the Stud's flawless Arc, Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane heroine Zarkava, with her first being the unraced Zerkaza (Dalakhani) who produced the dual Group winner Zeyrek (Sea The Stars) and the dam of last year's Vincent O'Brien National Stakes hero Zavateri by Frankel's son Without Parole. The second was Frankel's Prix Vermeille third Zarkamiya, in turn responsible for Zarigana (Siyouni) who was awarded last year's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, while Zaykava had already produced a black-type winner in Zaydann (Dubawi) prior to Zayida's exploits here.

Zarkava's chief progeny is Dubawi's rising star sire Zarak, who captured the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and was second in the Prix du Jockey Club, while this filly's sire Frankel is also responsible for the Prix Ganay runner-up Zarir. Zaykava's two-year-old colt Zaydabad is by Sea The Stars, while she also has a yearling filly by Too Darn Hot.