Prix de Diane Longines (Group 1)

NOT many trainers get to find out what it feels like to be Aidan O’Brien, even just for one day.

At Chantilly last Sunday, Francis-Henri Graffard dominated to such an extent that it brought back memories of Andre Fabre in his prime, as he annexed three of the card’s four pattern races.

Indeed, in the showpiece event itself, the Group 1 Prix de Diane Longines won by Gezora, at one point halfway up the home straight, it looked like Graffard might land a remarkable 1-2-3 only for Bedtime Story (trained by none other than A.P. O’Brien himself) to stay on strongly into second, making it a 1-3-4 instead.

What made this achievement even more remarkable was that arguably Graffard’s first string for this fillies’ classic was Audubon Park, who sadly suffered a career-ending injury during her final preparatory gallop five days before the race.

With a relatively small field of 12, the Diane was less blighted with hard-luck stories than is often the case, although American Gal was quite badly squeezed just after the start and Ryan Moore had little option but to drop Bedtime Story right out the back from his outside draw, behind D’Ores Et Deja.

Strong gallop

Wayne Lordan was determined to set a strong gallop aboard the Ballydoyle pacemaker, Merrily, and both Shes Perfect (who failed to settle) and the Graffard-trained favourite, Mandanaba, were forced to chart a wider course than ideal in order to maintain a prominent position.

Shes Perfect took over in front approaching the two-furlong marker, but her lack of stamina soon caused her to cede control to Mandanaba.

Cankoura, the least fancied of the Graffard trio having never been tried above listed class in five previous career starts, was soon at her stablemate’s side and had just begun to get on top 100 yards from the finish, when Gezora swept past the pair of them.

It was only now that Bedtime Story really got into top gear, and she finished to such effect that she was just a length adrift of Gezora at the line.

Few could doubt that Gezora was a deserving winner, however, as she had raced in tight quarters behind the leaders in the straight before finding a gap approaching the furlong marker.

Cankoura excelled herself in finishing half a length further back in third, while Mandanaba had to settle for fourth. D’Ores Et Deja was the one filly to suffer from serious traffic problems and did well to keep on into fifth, one place in front of Fabre’s Better Together.

A first European Group 1 winner for the now New Zealand-based stallion Almanzor, Gezora was trained last year by Nicolas Le Roch for her breeders, Haras d’Etreham, and ended the campaign contesting two Group 3s, winning one having finished second to the Epsom Derby runner-up, Lazy Griff, in the other.

Sold privately to Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm over the winter before joining Graffard, she had been badly in need of the run when thrashed by Mandanaba on her 2025 debut, but then showed her true self when lowering Audubon Park’s colours in the Group 2 Prix Saint-Alary.

Adapt to style

Graffard said: “It took a while for Gezora to adapt to my style of training and I didn’t expect her to win the Alary. But it was no surprise that she won today and I still don’t really know her limits.”

Rather emotional when greeting his wife and daughters in the shoot near the track after the race, he had a big smile on his face for much of the rest of the afternoon, in particular when reminded that Gezora, who does not hold a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe entry, is now eligible for France’s biggest race thanks to the Diane being part of a new ‘win and you’re in’-style incentive scheme.

“What a positive new initiative that is,” he beamed. “We know Gezora loves soft ground, so the door to the Arc is definitely not closed.”

O’Brien said: “Bedtime Story ran a great race and we are delighted with her. She’s still improving and it looks like she could stay further.”

Rest of the card

Graffard’s treble began in the Group 3 Prix du Bois Longines when the Dark Angel juvenile colt Moojeed lost his maiden status in grand style, making all and holding off the British raider Ali Shuffle by three-quarters of a length.

The result paid a big complement to No Tune, an unbeaten Christopher Head-trained filly who dismissed Moojeed by three lengths last month.

The other Graffard hero was Zabiari, an Aga Khan home-bred son of Wootton Bassett, who took his record since joining the yard from Jean-Claude Rouget to three-from-three when conjuring a stunning late burst of speed to grab the Group 3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines by a neck. Zabiari holds an entry in the Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois.

Hopes of a big race four-timer had evaporated half an hour earlier, when Surabad came up half a length shy of Rafale Design after a good three-way battle also including Oracle at the end of the Group 3 Prix du Lys Longines.

A Yann Barberot-trained son of Starspangledbanner, Rafale Design had previously won the Group 3 Prix Hocquart and is now set to make the step up to Group 1 company in the Grand Prix de Paris on July 13th. Diane day ended with Graffard having pulled no less than €1.4 million clear at the top of the French Trainers Championship. Arc Day in October will, as ever, be decisive.

Provided the Arc is not won by one of his domestic rivals, the 48-year-old Darley Flying Start graduate is well set to be crowned champion for the first time.