Laurens wins Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly

Runner-up in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, Laurens won her third prize at flat racing’s Group One level by a neck to claim victory.

Musis Amica finished strongly to grab second ahead of Homerique in third and Aidan O’Brien’s Happily in fourth.

Thirteen runners came forward for France’s equivalent of the Oaks which was run over a distance of a mile and two and a half furlongs. Laurens was always prominent right from the off and was asked to take the race by the scruff of the neck by PJ McDonald just after the halfway stage. This she did by exerting a fine change of pace at the two-furlong marker before having to stage a heroic rearguard action to win in a thrilling finish.

Runner-up Musis Amica set herself an almost impossible task by getting outpaced in the first half of the race, but defied the odds and came back into contention down the outside to claim an improbable second, while Homerique, Happily and With You were also battling right to the line.

“She’s a superstar,” said owner John Dance. “She’s proved she’s top-class.”

Laurens had rounded off her juvenile campaign with a Group One triumph in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket last October and also won the Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp three weeks ago, so this success was perhaps nothing of a surprise.

“When we bought the filly this was the race we talked about, literally the day we bought her, so to actually come here and win it, it’s incredible.

“She’s French-bred and she obviously loves France and coming back home.

“She’s achieved so much already, it seemed a bit greedy to think she could win again today.”

Elsewhere on the card at Chantilly, Glendevon ran a game race for the Richard Hughes yard in the Group 3 Prix Paul de Moussac Longines, setting the pace until collared a furlong and a half out and coming home fourth. The impressive winner of the mile contest was Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Wusool, who was ridden to an easy three-and-a half-length victory by Francois-Xavier Bertras for trainer François Rohaut.

The British hope in the Group 2 Prix Hocquart Longines, Aspetar, did not fare too well, finishing last behind Godolphin’s Nocturnal Fox.
The Roger Charlton-trained Aspetar raced in midfield but faded in the straight under Kieran Shoemark, whereas Nocturnal Fox, trained by Andre Fabre and partnered by Mikael Barzalona, edged Al Malhouf by a head to take the honours.

Barzalona completed a Group-race double by landing the Group 3 Prix du Bertrand du Breuil Longines on Hunaina. The winning margin of a short neck’s distances edged out Trais Fluors in second, with Wireless a further length and a half back in third.

The Prix Longines Future Racing Stars Handicap was an equally close affair won by Beaupreau. Ridden by Zineb El Briouil, the winner came in a head’s distance to the good from First Company in second and Adam’s Peak an equally close third.