France: Joan of Arc takes narrow Prix de Diane triumph

After winning the Prix du Jockey Club, the French Derby, on June 6 with St Mark’s Basilica, trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ioritz Mendizabal struck again Sunday at Chantilly, where Joan of Arc got her head down first to win the Prix de Diane, the French Oaks.

Joan of Arc pressed the pace most of the 1 5/16-mile trip, finally collaring game pacesetter Sibila Spain in the last 100 yards and just holding off a belated outside run from Philomene. Philomene’s Andre Fabre-trained stablemate, Burgarita, also finished with interest to just best Sibila Spain for third.

It was a first Prix de Diane winner for O’Brien, who now has won every Classic race in France, England, and Ireland. Mendizabal has been riding O’Brien’s French stakes runners because of demanding quarantine protocols for jockeys traveling from other countries to ride in France.

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Mendizabal’s post-race comments confirmed the visual impression of Joan of Arc’s performance – that it was a strong display of stamina. Second last out in the Irish 1000 Guineas, Joan of Arc was racing for the first time beyond one mile, and she simply wore down the leader while steadily increasing her tempo through the final quarter-mile. By Galileo, out of You’resothrilling, by Storm Cat, Joan of Arc gives O’Brien a third long-term hope for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, joining Prince of Wales winner Love, a 4-year-old, and Snowfall, a devastating winner of the Oaks at Epsom earlier this month.

Philomene found the one-mile Poule d’Essai des Pouliche too sharp for her capabilities in her last start and was back to a more suitable distance Sunday, and might have won with better luck. She was trapped in traffic until about three-sixteenths of a mile remained, and with the winner coming home strongly she did well to rally within three quarters of a length of Joan of Arc. Burgarita was making her Group stakes debut and also raced encouragingly, finishing just a nose behind Philomene.

The race was contested over a good-to-soft course and Joan of Arc, a 5-1 chance, was timed in 2:09.05.