Laurens by a neck in Prix de Diane Stakes

Laurens was a brave winner of the Group 1 Prix de Diane on Sunday at Chantilly, the first classic-race winner for trainer Karl Burke and onetime jumps rider P.J. McDonald.

Laurens, based in England but the winner of the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp in her most recent start, broke on top in the 1 5/16-mile Prix de Diane, the French Oaks, but Luminate was ridden to the lead, giving Laurens the target for which her connections hoped. McDonald asked Laurens with about a quarter-mile left, and Laurens opened a lead, but a host of challengers ganged up behind her, coming from the outside, between horses, and down along the fence. But Laurens kept on gamely, and while five horses were separated by about one length at the finish, it was Laurens home by a neck.

Musis Amica, far back early, finished well on the far outside to get second, a nose in front of Homerique. Happily, who split horses in the final furlong and briefly looked like a winner, was another head back in fourth but just a nose in front of With You. The favored Shahnaza raced in tight quarters in the final quarter-mile but lacked acceleration once clear and finished seventh. The winning time over good-to-soft going was 2:06.11.

Laurens, owned by John Dance, is by Siyouni and out of the Cape Cross mare Recambe. She was a good 2-year-old in 2017, winning the Group 1 Fillies Mile in her 2017 finale, and finished second in the English 1000 Guineas before her back-to-back French Group 1 wins this spring.

Burke said Laurens is possible for the Irish Oaks and the Yorkshire Oaks in coming months, and that she will be considered for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe if her form holds through the summer.