France: Fancy Blue gives trainer Donnacha O'Brien first Prix de Diane victory

Fancy Blue won a four-horse blanket finish and gave 21-year-old trainer Donnacha O’Brien a quick victory in the Group 1 Prix de Diane.

O’Brien is the son of trainer Aidan O’Brien, whose epic career includes zero wins in the Prix de Diane, the French Oaks, but Donnacha, who retired from the saddle due to his size less than a year ago, won the French classic in his first try.

Fancy Blue had finished second to the Aidan O’Brien-trained Peaceful in the Irish Oaks last month and turned the tables on her rival Sunday at Chantilly. Jockey Pierre-Charles Boudot gave Fancy Blue a perfect pressing trip just outside and behind pacesetting favorite Alpine Star, who had won the Group 1 Coronation Stakes in her most recent race, and wore down Alpine Star through a sustained homestretch battle.

Peaceful, racing between horses in midpack, made a run at the top two through the final furlong but came up just short. Fancy Blue won by a short neck, with Alpine Star a head better than Peaceful, who herself finished just a head in front of Raabihah. Raabihah was caught three wide without cover much of the 1 5/16-mile trip and ran well in defeat.

Fancy Blue, now 4-3-1-0 for her career, is by Deep Impact out of Chenchikova, by Sadler’s Wells. She’s owned by Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. John Magnier.

Mishriff kicks home to Jockey Club win

While trainer John Gosden attended the races at Sandown in England, watching his stable star Enable finish second in the Eclipse Stakes, across the English Channel he captured his first Prix du Jockey Club as Mishriff used impressive acceleration to win France’s Derby.

Mishriff, making his group stakes debut, saved ground while racing somewhat keenly under Ioritz Mendizabal, who steered his mount left through heavy traffic in the final three-sixteenths of a mile, finally finding a clear path between horses. Daylight in front of him, Mishriff uncorked an excellent turn of foot to pull away very late to a 1 3/4-length score for Group 1 glory.

Stewards conducted an inquiry into the path Mendizabal took while steering left for racing room but let the result stand.

The Summit finished third, while favored Victor Ludorom might have fallen too far behind the leaders, his wide rally netting a third-place finish.

Mishriff is owned by Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a Saudi Arabian prince, and accordingly traveled to race on dirt in the Saudi Derby this past February, finishing second. On June 6, Mishriff won a listed race at Newmarket by four lengths, a springboard to his excellent showing in the 1 5/16-mile Jockey Club.

Mishriff, now a three-time winner from six starts, is by the young sire Make Believe and is out of Contradict, by Raven’s Pass.