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Friday, 12 June 2009 12:21 |
Twelve fillies were declared on Friday morning in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks, Gr1-2,100mT) as most big guns from the top fillies division are on for the French Ladies' Classic. The draw is not as relevant as the previous weekend when no less than 17 runners were declared in the Prix du Jockey Club. As anticipated some horses lost a fair chance to perform due to a poor starting position. It should be a different story on Sunday in this thinner field. However, tactics will once again play an important part in the process with two dual entries for the Wildensteins and the Wertheimers. This Prix de Diane sounds a bit like an echo of the boys division ran last weekend.
There are not as many but most of the main actors of last Sunday's dramatic race are back here with comparable teams.
The Wildensteins are once again two in the race with Board Meeting (Ire-Anabaa) and her pacemaker Onega Lake (Ire-Peintre Celebre) while Plumania (Gb-Anabaa) his the Wertheimer stable jockey Olivier Peslier's pick with Celebra (Fr-Peintre Celebre) will be ridden by Davy Bonilla.
Unluckily, Peslier is drawn wide at stall 12, next to the unbeaten Celimene (Ire-Dr Fong), in 11, and French 1,000 Guineas second Tamazirte (Ire-Danehill Dancer), trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, who saddled the French Derby winner last Sunday with his Guineas second Le Havre... Impressive in the Prix Saint-Alary (Gr1-2,000mT), Stacelita (Fr-Monsun) is the other representative from Rouget's stable in Pau. She was picked up by the stable jockey Christophe lemaire while Ioritz Mendizabal, sacked by Eric LIbaud earlier this week because of his ride in the Prix du Jockey Club (he will not ride Vision d'Etat anymore) is associated to Tamazirte.
The Aga Khan is well in once again as Shediyama (Fr-Red Ransom) will run for the fourth time of her career and the first in a group race, whereas her stablemate Beheshtam, supplemented a week ago in the Jockey Club, had already proven himself at the top level.
Second with Fuisse for her father last Sunday, Criquette Head-Maarek will saddle her mother's Denomination (Usa-Smart Strike), a very well bred filly who has avoided the top fights of the Spring and will race for the third time this season from stall N°9.
Yves de Nicolay was under pressure in the Prix du Jockey Club with French 2,000 victor Silver Frost but will be able to adopt a lower profile here with Eclair de Lune (Ger-Marchand de Sable). The filly is rather inexperienced and has not ran in a Group race so far but her form is rock solid and she draw 3, between Shediyama and Stacelita... Philippe Demercastel was fourth on Sunday with Calvados Blues and relies on the outsider Ana Americana (Fr-American Post) this time.
Last but not least, Luca Cumani will be the sole foreign representative with Fantasia (Gb-Sadler's Wells) and Stephane Pasquier, the Juddmonte Farms' main jockey being free to ride.
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