American Gal (GB)

Last month's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches demotee Shes Perfect (Sioux Nation) heads a field of one dozen contenders for Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines after Thursday morning's final declarations were announced for the €1-million Chantilly Classic. Basher Watts Racing's Charlie Fellowes trainee, who has drawn stall seven, will be reopposed by Princess Zahra Aga Khan's TDN Rising Star and Pouliches third Mandanaba (Ghaiyyath), who will emerge from stall 10. Mandanaba will be accompanied by Francis Graffard stablemates Cankoura (Persian King) and G2 Prix Saint-Alary victrix Gezora (Almanzor), who...

Welcome to Winter Watch, the new column with the unenviable task of trying to fill the void that now exists after Emma Berry penned her final Seven Days column of 2024, not to return until we hand the baton over again next spring. It's a daunting act to try and follow, but then at least we're in solidarity with the horses who will be the subject matter of this column over the coming weeks and months. The Berry boots might be big ones to fill, but so too are those...