Chantilly Sunday

3.05pm Prix de Diane Longines (Group 1 3yo Fillies) 1m 2f 110yds

LOOKING back, it seems strange that less than a year ago Bedtime Story was the talk of the racing world, ante-post favourite for the 1000 Guineas after her decimation of the Chesham Stakes field. On Sunday, she will at least be Aidan O’Brien’s first string in an 11-strong field for the Group 1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly, but she has slipped miles behind Lake Victoria in the Ballydoyle pecking order.

So much water has flowed under the bridge since the Chesham. Bedtime Story ended last term with a pair of heavy defeats in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the Prix Marcel Boussac, and on her only run this season in the Poule d’Essai de Pouliches, Ryan Moore chose to partner her race-fit stablemate Exactly, a filly that she had beaten twice, rather than guide her through her first appearance for seven months.

Moore is back aboard on Sunday, and there is every reason to expect this Frankel three-parts sister to the Yorkshire Oaks heroine Content to make a big leap forward from her Pouliches effort, when she never got competitive but stayed on well late into sixth.

Will she be able to improve past three fillies who finished at least two and a half lengths in front of her: the disqualified winner, Shes Perfect, the third, Mandanaba, and the fifth, Better Together?

Past two of them, maybe, as both Shes Perfect and Better Together have enough speed influences in their pedigrees to suggest that this extended mile and a quarter may prove to be beyond their optimum.

But Mandanaba is likely to be a tougher nut to crack. Her half-sister, Mandour, stayed a mile and a quarter well; her dam, Mandesha, won three Group 1s including the mile and a half Prix Vermeille; and she herself has already scored over a mile and one. Dropping in trip, she did well to finish within a length of Shes Perfect.

O’Brien also saddles Merrily, a Group 3 victrix at Newmarket last October and the mount of the Epsom Derby hero, Wayne Lordan. She looks to have it all to do following two modest recent efforts, most recently last of 14 in the Pouliches.

Shes Perfect apart, there are two other British challengers, though neither has the look of a leading candidate. The John and Thady Gosden-trained Sand Gazelle makes this step up to the top level despite having twice come up short in Listed company already this season, while American Gal, from the Ed Walker yard, was at least successful in a listed last time but may not be suited by this step up from a mile.

Fabrice Chappet’s D’Ores Et Deja is an interesting contender following a slightly unlucky second in the Group 2 German 1000 Guineas, but not quite as interesting as Gezora, who was probably half-fit when brushed aside by her stablemate, Mandanaba, on her comeback and was a tidy winner of the Group 2 Prix Saint-Alary last time.

Gezora can chase home Mandanaba to complete a 1-2 for Graffard and kick off a potentially momentous week for the Chantilly handler ahead of him saddling a strong Royal Ascot team.

SELECTION: MANDANABA

Next best: Gezora