AFTER 1000 Guineas joy at Newmarket, the Curragh and ParisLongchamp already this year, Aidan O’Brien is setting his sights on a fourth fillies’ classic win in six weeks when Diamond Necklace puts her unbeaten record on the line in Sunday’s Prix de Diane Longines (3.05).

The decisive winner of last month’s Emirates Poule d’Essai Des Pouliches has never raced beyond a mile before, but has always given the impression she’ll be suited by further. She gets to put that theory to the test against 10 rivals, including several talented British fillies, in this 10-and-a-half-furlong Group 1 under Ryan Moore.

The Diane remains the only French classic missing from the world-leading rider’s CV, and he has an outstanding chance of putting that omission right. Layers make the daughter of St Mark’s Basilica as short as 4/7, and no bigger than 4/5 , for this Chantilly assignment.

O’Brien, who has won the French Oaks once before with Joan Of Arc in 2021, said: “I’ve been very happy with Diamond Necklace. The plan was always, if everything went well in the French Guineas, to come back here. Everything has been very good since then. I think she’s even better on better ground.

“Obviously, she won nicely the last time and it’s her second run of the year. We always thought a mile and a quarter shouldn’t be a problem to her. Obviously we’re going to learn more on Sunday. She’s good, very straightforward and well balanced.

“She’s very like her sire, St Mark’s Basilica. When he went up to a mile and a quarter, he improved again and everything she does is very like him, really.”

Distance possibilities

Last week’s superb Betfred Oaks winner, Thundering On, has been touted by many as a Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe candidate in the aftermath of her Epsom performance. Could Diamond Necklace stay a mile and a half at some point?

“It’s possible,” said O’Brien. “You obviously couldn’t be sure until you do it, but it definitely is possible, especially being by St Mark’s and on her dam’s side as well.”

On his second runner in the line-up, Moments Of Joy (set to be ridden by Wayne Lordan), O’Brien added: “She ran in the Musidora the last time [when beaten nine and a quarter lengths by Legacy Link in fourth]. It went a little bit steady for her, but she ran okay.

“She had a couple of choices: the Epsom Oaks, Ascot for the Ribblesdale and this race in Chantilly. We think there’s more improvement to come from her, and we think she’d like the trip, and we think she’d like the track as well. As a very good mover, I think she’d like light and nice ground and wouldn’t be mad about soft ground.”

Shane Foley has already captured Group 1s in his career at ParisLongchamp through Albigna and Barnavara, and hopes are high in the Ace Stud camp that 1000 Guineas second Evolutionist can add to the rider’s haul in the French Oaks.

Her trainer Karl Burke has already been down this road before, having been beaten at Newmarket with Laurens in 2018 before winning this prize through the same admirable filly a month later.

“Evolutionist was a very good two-year-old,” said Burke.

“She was not a Group 1 winner, as Laurens had been, but physically she has done really well through the winter. More importantly, she has done very well physically since the Guineas. Shane came to ride her in a piece of work this week, her last piece of work before Sunday, and he was very taken with her. She is getting stronger all the time.

Physical progress

“I think she will get stronger as the year goes on, but she is certainly a stronger filly now than she was in May at Newmarket. The one difference is that Laurens had another run between the Guineas and the Diane.

“This filly has not. She had a tough race in the Guineas, as you would expect. Also, she is a different physical type to Laurens. Laurens was powerful and very mature, whereas this filly is still developing and did not carry a lot of weight.

“It was a case of either going to Royal Ascot or going for the Prix de Diane. The way she worked this week, there was a slight, very slight doubt as to whether we should be going to Royal Ascot over the mile.

“But we made a decision a while ago, and we took her out of the Coronation at the last forfeit stage. We are 90% confident that she will stay the Diane trip.”

William Haggas’ recent York listed winner Lilt, a daughter of Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Dank, could be an even bigger threat in the British challenge. Meanwhile, Ed Walker saddles Musidora Stakes second Felicitas (that form boosted by Legacy Link’s fine Epsom second), David Menuisier runs last-time-out Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes scorer Inis Mor and Brian Meehan is represented by another recent listed winner, Esna.