French Oaks: Golden Lilac holds off Goldikova's half-sister

Golden Lilac, the winner of the French 1000 Guineas last month, extended her domination of that country’s 3-year-old filly division with a one-length victory in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly on Sunday.

Ridden by Maxime Guyon, Golden Lilac closed from fifth in the field of nine, taking the lead with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and holding off a late threat from even-money favorite Galikova, a half-sister to Goldikova, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile from 2008-10.

Golden Lilac won the French Oaks over 1 5/16 miles on good to soft turf by a length, with Galikova finishing a neck in front of Glorious Sight.

Golden Lilac, an Irish-bred filly by Galileo, is trained by Andre Fabre for breeder Gestut Ammerland. The filly is unbeaten in five career starts, including her first start of 2011, the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte at Longchamp in April.

The win in the French Oaks led some bookmakers in Britain to list Golden Lilac as low as 10-1 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe against older males in October.

There were three Group 3 races on the eight-race Chantilly card and Fabre and Guyon swept them all, winning the Prix Paul de Moussac for 3-year-old milers with the Cacique colt Mutual Trust; the Prix du Lys for 3-year-olds over 1 1/2 miles with Kreem, a colt by Hurricane Run; and the Prix Du Chemin Du Fer Du Nord for older milers with Byword. By Peintre Celebre, Byword won the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2010.

At San Siro, in Milan, Italy, Voila Ici won his first stakes of 2011 and first Group 1 in 19 months in the Gran Premio di Milano, holding off a late threat from the 3-5 favorite Scalo to win by a neck.

Voila Ici, ridden by Mirco Demuro, stalked the early pace, took the lead with 2 1/2 furlongs remaining and was fully extended to win the race over 1 1/2 miles on heavy turf. A 6-year-old by Daylami, Voila Ici is trained by Vittorio Caruso for Incolinx.

Voila Ici won the Group 1 Premio Roma in the fall of 2009.

Scalo, who won the Group 1 Preis Von Europa in Cologne, Germany last year, was ridden by Frankie Dettori. Scalo finished a short head in front of third-place finisher Saratoga Black.