By Tom Frary
Francis-Henri Graffard looked set to have the one-two-three in Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines heading to the closing stages, but while that didn't transpire France's pre-eminent trainer of 2025 was ultimately in the right place as Gezora (Almanzor) brought it home. Continuing the timeless love affair between American interests and French racing, the daughter of the 2006 Diane runner-up Germance proved strongest in the Chantilly Classic to complete the Saint-Alary-Diane double for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm.
Sent off at 11-2 having upped her game last month at ParisLongchamp in the Group 2 contest her dam captured in its former guise at the highest level, the Haras d'Etreham-bred Gezora was manoeuvred into the slipstream of the leaders by Christophe Soumillon from her inside post. Needing room in early straight as Graffard's third-string Cankoura (Persian King) pressed the yard's 100-30 favourite Mandanaba (Ghaiyyath), she emerged from the pocket to complete a line of three in front for Graffard with 100 metres to race.
Any dreams of a Classic trifecta were dashed soon after by Ballydoyle's revitalised Bedtime Story (Frankel), but while that raider posed a genuine threat for a few strides Gezora had vital first run to claim the prize by a length. Cankoura plugged on to be half a length away in third, while the too-free Mandanaba shaped like a non-stayer 1 1/4 lengths further back in fourth.
Brant was enjoying his second French Classic victory, with Sottsass prevailing in the Prix du Jockey Club in 2020. Second in this with Sistercharlie in 2017, he was relishing the latest result of his significant investment in this sphere.
“She's a wonderful filly who tries so hard and has a great attitude,” he said. “I think it's probably one of the three or four races I've dreamt of winning. I think it's the greatest three-year-old filly race–it's always stiff competition and I'm very proud and happy to win it. It's a very difficult race to predict–we were second with Sistercharlie, who was a great filly but couldn't win this because she got into trouble. She will continue her career in France.”
Gezora, who raced in the colours of her breeder when trained by Nicolas Le Roch at two, had battled out the G3 Prix de Conde with the eventual Derby runner-up Lazy Griff in September before getting the better of TDN Rising Star Sandtrap (Lope De Vega) in Deauville's G3 Prix des Reservoirs the following month. Third behind Mandanaba on her first start in these silks in the nine-furlong G3 Prix Vanteaux at ParisLongchamp in April, she made marked improvement for her initial try at a mile and a quarter in the Saint-Alary and was not going to be found wanting for stamina here.
Helped by the honest pace set by Ballydoyle's “rabbit” Merrily, Gezora was always perfectly paced by Soumillon with Ryan Moore looking to calm the waters of his brilliant but over-generous mount at the back of the pack. Almost a year on from her emphatic success at Royal Ascot which will stand the test of time as a display of raw power by a 2-year-old, the eventual runner-up produced a telling :33.82 closing three-furlong sectional which was enough to best all bar one.
Soumillon had been due to ride the stable's Saint-Alary runner-up Audubon Park prior to that filly suffering an injury this week and was left to reflect on his turn of fortune. “In these races you have to have luck on your side–I had the bad news about Audubon Park on Tuesday and I was lucky that the trainer and owner of Gezora wanted me on their filly,” he said. “I knew Gezora had a first-rate chance, as I loved her win in the Saint-Alary. She can do a mile and a half, I think, so we'll see what she can do in the Vermeille.”
Graffard added, “Gezora continued to progress so much after the Saint-Alary and was at the top of her condition for the big day–I didn't really know where her limit was and it's not a surprise for me to see her win. She is an easy, professional filly and by winning this she benefits from a wild-card for the Arc. We're not closing any doors, especially since we know that she loves soft ground. It's a huge emotion, with my father being here. He has always been a great support to me, even if he doesn't belong in the racing world at all–he dreamed of me becoming a Formula 1 driver!”
While Bedtime Story was unable to extend Aidan O'Brien's remarkable Classic run in 2025, the subplot of this renewal was the return to prominence of such an exciting filly who had looked a generational talent last summer. “We're delighted with Bedtime Story's performance. She ran a magnificent race,” the master of Ballydoyle said. “Her improvement is clear and she's now showing her true form again. Today was truly a top-class effort and this result, over this distance, opens a lot of doors. I'm not sure yet what we'll do next, as we need to see how she comes out of it.”
Nemone Routh, racing manager at Aiglemont, said of Cankoura and Mandanaba, “Both fillies ran without excuses, but in the last 100 metres the others just finished faster. Mickael Barzalona and Clement Lecoeuvre didn't feel they weakened, it was more that the others accelerated stronger at the end. We weren't lucky with the draw, which forced them to make significant early efforts and that's never easy.”
Pedigree Notes
Gezora, who becomes the second Classic winner for Almanzor following the recent G2 Derby Italiano hero Molveno and third Group 1 winner overall, continues the unstoppable momentum behind Wootton Bassett who had already accounted for this year's winners of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains. She is also the last known foal out of Silver Hawk's Germance, who was beaten only by Confidential Lady in the 2006 renewal of this prize.
The third dam is the Listed Tyros Stakes winner and G1 Prix de la Salamandre runner-up Majestic Role, whose G3 Prix Fille de l'Air-winning daughter Aiglonne also by Silver Hawk was later responsible for a trio of Group winners headed by Sea The Stars's G1 Prix d'Ispahan-winning sire Mekhtaal. This is also the family of the G1 Derby Italiano hero and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up White Muzzle and the G1 Dubai World Cup hero Almutawakel.
Gezora comes home strongly to take the Group One Prix de Diane! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/O1JhO9qCH2
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 15, 2025
Sunday, Chantilly, France
PRIX DE DIANE LONGINES-G1, €1,000,000, Chantilly, 6-15, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT, 2:06.57, g/s.
1–GEZORA (FR), 126, f, 3, by Almanzor (Fr)
1st Dam: Germance (G1SW-Fr, $558,680), by Silver Hawk
2nd Dam: Gaily Tiara, by Caerleon
3rd Dam: Majestic Role (Fr), by Theatrical (Ire)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-White Birch Farm; B-Haras d'Etreham; T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Christophe Soumillon. €571,400. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-1, €731,500. *1/2 to Garance (Fr) (Teofilo {Ire}), MSP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Bedtime Story (Ire), 126, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Mecca's Angel (Ire), by Dark Angel (Ire). TDN Rising Star. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore; T-Aidan O'Brien. €228,600.
3–Cankoura (Fr), 126, f, 3, Persian King (Ire)–Candarliya (Fr), by Dalakhani (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Aga Khan Studs; T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €114,300.
Margins: 1, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.50, 3.90, 15.00.
Also Ran: Mandanaba (Fr), D'Ores Et Deja (Fr), Better Together (GB), American Gal (GB), Rosa Salvaje (Ire), Shes Perfect (Ire), Sand Gazelle (GB), Zia Agnese (Fr), Merrily.
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