Dubai: Sunday’s €1,000,000 Prix de Diane Longines (G1), France’s equivalent to English Oaks (G1), is one of the few prestigious European races that has eluded all-conquering Godolphin’s touch.
However, Musis Amica, a highly-regarded filly trained by the legendary Andre Fabre, can set the record straight by winning the three-year-old fillies’ showpiece, which run over a distance of 2,100 metres.
A victory at the historic Chantilly racecourse can galvanise team Godolphin ahead of next week’s Royal Ascot extravaganza.
Musis Amica comes to this French Oaks off the back of an eye-catching sixth place to Teppal in the Group 1 French 1000 Guineas at Longchamp last month.
Fabre, who is expecting a big run from this promising daughter of New Approach, told the Godolphin website: “Musis Amica is in good form and should appreciate the step up in trip,” Fabre said.
In the French Guineas at Longchamp, Musis Amica, was dropped at the rear of the field by her jockey Michael Barzalaon, before she was produced to finish strongly, only 1 ½, length behind the winner.
Among her main rivals are the Irish-trained Classic winner Happily and Alain De Royer-Dupre’s unbeaten Shahnaza.
Karl Burke’s Laurens also has strong claims on the strength of her hard-fourth victory in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp in the last week of May.
O’Brien’s Happily looks the one to beat have defeated the colts in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly in October, where she had Godolphin’s Derby winner Masar back in third.
She also placed third in both the English and Irish 1,000 Guineas.
While Godolphin have yet to win the Prix de Diane, it’s founder, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has won the century-old race twice in the past with Indian Skimmer in 1987 and more recently West Wind in 2007.
Latest Odds
Prix de Diane (G1)
June 17, Chantilly, France
Shahnazaout 3/1, Happily 4/1, Laurensin 7/1, Luminatoe 8/1, Musis Amica 8/1, With You 8/1, Homeriquein 14/1, Barkaa 16/1, Soustractionin 20/1, Amazing Lips 33/1, Castellar 33/1, Lady Athena 40/1
