Diamond Necklace swept to a commanding victory in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp, becoming only the latest filly to complete the prestigious double of the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac at two and the Classic at three.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained daughter of St Mark's Basilica , owned by the Coolmore partners, was delivered with precision by Ryan Moore. Settled patiently on the inside and tracking the pace, she was produced through a gap turning for home in a manoeuvre that mirrored Mickaël Barzalona's winning ride on Rayif in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains minutes earlier. On ground described as very soft, Moore kept his mount tight to the rail to minimise lost ground.

The Last Dance, trained at Maisons-Laffitte by Yann and Carlos Lerner, tracked the winner throughout but Christophe Soumillon was forced to navigate around traffic before switching wide in the straight. She held on for second ahead of Green Spirit, who produced a storming late rally from the rear. Maxime Guyon, retained by Wertheimer & Frère, had been dealt stall 14 and settled last early before unleashing his filly late along the rail.

French-Bred, Irish-Trained

Both Diamond Necklace and The Last Dance were bred in Normandy. Diamond Necklace was raised at Écurie des Monceaux for Henri Bozo, while The Last Dance came from Haras du Cadran, bred by Pierre Talvard for Écurie Mélanie. The pair went through the same sales ring as yearlings at the Arqana August Sale in Deauville in 2024, though their hammer prices told vastly different stories. Diamond Necklace sold for a sale-topping €1.7 million. The Last Dance made €105,000.

The pattern of French breeding feeding international stables held firm, with the winner now representing one of global racing's most powerful operations. Her margin of victory and the manner of it suggested the step up to a mile and a quarter may not be beyond her.

Image ScoopDyga