So easy was Zarkava's cruise control victory in the $1.2 million Prix de Diane at Chantilly on Sunday, her rider Christophe Soumillon was blowing kisses to the grandstand at the sixteenth pole. This three-length French Oaks triumph, coming on the heels of an equally impressive score in the French 1000 Guineas four weeks ago, established Zarkava, an Zaminday filly owned by the Aga Khan, as very likely the best of her generation anywhere in the world.

Vodka returned to the winners' circle for the first time in more than a year at Tokyo on Sunday with a second big win over colts in the $1.8 million Yasuda Kinen.

New Approach, the 2007 European champion 2-year-old who for much of the last two months had been ruled out of the Epsom Derby by his Irish trainer, Jim Bolger, justified a late change of mind and won the $2.6 million event at Epsom on Saturday.

It was a first success in Britain’s premier race for Bolger, 66, who on numerous occasions stated his intention to skip Epsom with New Approach and instead aim the son of Galileo at the Irish Derby.

Zarkava, unbeaten in four races, will be a short-priced favorite in the Prix de Diane, or French Oaks, at 1 5/16 miles at Chantilly on Sunday.

Owned by the Aga Khan, Zarkava has looked unbeatable so far, but her career is very one-dimensional. All the filly's wins have been in one-mile races at Longchamp. Now she faces a new distance and a new course.

Look Here led a one-two finish by extreme longshots when she drew clear to a 3 3/4-length victory over Moonstone in Friday's Group 1, $700,000 English Oaks at Epsom.

Ridden by Seb Sanders, the 33-1 Look Here rallied from seventh entering the stretch to take the lead with a little more than two furlongs remaining. Look Here drove clear and held off the efforts of two Irish fillies, 25-1 shot Moonstone and Katiyra, a 9-2 shot who finished third, 2 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up.

Lush Lashes, another Irish invader, finished fifth as the 5-2 favorite.

Jim Bolger upset a great many people when he announced on Monday that New Approach would run in Saturday’s Epsom Derby.

The Irish trainer had been saying all spring that New Approach, last year’s champion 2-year-old, would contest the English and Irish 2000 Guineas followed by the Irish Derby. Epsom would not suit the son of Galileo, he said.

At the last moment, Bolger did an about-face, saying that it was entirely his decision and that he had not been under pressure from connections of the colt, who is owned by Princess Haya, the wife of Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum.

A seven-figure mare topped selling Wednesday at the third session of the Magic Millions national broodmare sale on Australia's Gold Coast, bringing about $2,280,000. That was what Hong Kong-based owner Deborah Ho paid for She Will Be Loved. A 4-year-old Strategic mare, she sold in foal to leading Australian sire Redoute's Choice as part of the Kia Ora consignment.

She Will Be Loved is an Australian Group 2 winner.

Lush Lashes spearheads an Irish invasion of Europe's premier fillies classic, the $700,000 English Oaks, at Epsom on Friday.

No less than 9 of the 16 runners will be shipping in from Ireland, including Lush Lashes, who shot to the head of the betting for this 1 1/2-mile event when sprinting five lengths clear of a strong field in the Group 2 Musidora Stakes at York on May 14.

Shalt Not, the dam of Australian Group 2 winner Amelia's Dream, fetched the session-topping bid of about $997,500 Tuesday at the Magic Millions national broodmare sale on Australia's Gold Coast.

Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud of New Zealand made the purchase from Yarraman Park Stud. Cambridge Stud manager Marcus Corban signed the ticket for the mare.

Shalt Not, a stakes-winning 11-year-old daughter of St Covet, sold in foal to Testa Rossa.

Sheikh Mohammed al-Maktoum's Darley operation added to its long list of sale-topping buys Monday in Australia with the sale-record purchase of broodmare prospect Divine Madonna.

Darley paid $2,565,000, for the four-time Australian Group 1 winner at the Magic Millions national broodmare sale on Australia's Gold Coast.