Arguably the talking horse of 2017, Khalid Abdullah's Shutter Speed (GB) (Dansili {GB}) puts her tall reputation to the test in Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly. Unbeaten in three starts, the 'TDN Rising Star' had her subsequent G1 Epsom Oaks-winning stablemate Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) back in third when taking a 10-furlong conditions race at Newbury on Apr. 21 prior to coping with unsuitably soft ground when following up in the G3 Musidora S. at York on May 17. Drawn wide here, the homebred has an instant disadvantage to overcome but she at least has the going in her favour. “She's in good form and I'm told the ground is good and fast,” commented the owner-breeder's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe. “We think she's in very good shape and I'm told Frankie [Dettori] is in good shape as well, so all the ingredients are there. Her form is good and she's got to go and prove herself at the highest level now. There are one or two obstacles there and the draw isn't ideal, but that's life.”
This is one of the few races to have eluded Aidan O'Brien so far and he takes the unusual step of running one of his Epsom Oaks fillies here with Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) giving the right signals after her runner-up placing 16 days ago. No match for Enable there, last year's G1 Fillies Mile winner, who also played bridesmaid in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 7, should prove a stern opponent for Shutter Speed.
“Obviously she only ran a couple of weeks ago, but she seems to be in good form,” Aidan O'Brien said. “It's running her back a little bit quick, but we are hoping that she's in good form and she runs a good race. We don't think the drop back will bother her and that trip should be fine.”
Of the home-trained fillies, the most interesting has to be 'TDN Rising Star' Terrakova (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who beat Panthelia (Fr) (Gentlewave {Ire}) by 3/4 of a length in Saint-Cloud's G3 Prix Cleopatre over this trip last time on May 23. Out to better the third placing of her dam Goldikova (Ire) (Anabaa) here in 2008 and the runner-up finish of that great mare's half-sister Galikova (Fr), also by Galileo, three years later, the homebred has pleased Freddy Head in her preparation. “I always planned to only give her one run last year,” he explained. “I know the family well, they are not very precocious, so I didn't see the point in rushing her to get ready for a group race. This season I've taken my time with her. If I had her ready in March and I still want her in September/October, that is a long time for a filly. At the moment 10 furlongs is her trip, but I'm confident she will stay further. I was impressed with her last time because she didn't have an easy trip. She had to be rushed up to keep her position but was settled all the time. When it mattered she then found an extra gear, even though she got checked in the straight.”
Andre Fabre saddles Godolphin's Kitesurf (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who reverts in trip after winning the G3 Prix de Royaumont over a mile-and-a-half here on June 4 and he said, “She came out of the Prix de Royaumont in much better form than expected. She showed that day that she handles good ground and the track at Chantilly. It's a wide-open race and she deserves to take her chance.” Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard and Lady O'Reilly's 'TDN Rising Star' Monroe Bay (Ire) (Makfi {GB}) flopped when last of 11 in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary at Deauville on May 14, but rebounded in first-time blinkers to win the Listed Prix Finlande over nine furlongs here a fortnight later and has the class to feature, as does the Niarchos Family's G1 Prix de la Grotte scorer Senga (Blame), who moves up in trip after a third in the G2 Prix de Sandringham over a mile at this venue last time on June 4.
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