First Classic for St Mark's Basilica as Diamond Necklace shines
Staged in relentless driving rain, Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches offered a dramatic backdrop to the continued rise of Ballydoyle's brilliant Diamond Necklace (Ire) who provided St Mark's Basilica (Fr) with his first Classic.
Sent off the 4-5 favourite returning to the ParisLongchamp track over which she had dominated the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac in the autumn, the regally bred TDN Rising Star tracked the early pace under cover before being sent down to the rail at the straight's cutaway.
Surging to the front 300 metres from the finish, she was kept up to her work by Ryan Moore to register an authoritative three-length success over fellow TDN Rising Star The Last Dance (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB}). Green Spirit (USA) (Kingman {GB}) was another one and a half length away in third.
“We're delighted – there are so many people involved,” Aidan O'Brien said of the winner, whose sire had won the G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains on this card in 2021. “She's like her dad, she's improved since last year, she has a great cruise and a lot of natural ability. She's very natural and handled the ground very well.”
“She's (Diamond Necklace) like her dad, she's improved since last year, she has a great cruise and a lot of natural ability.” - Aidan O'Brien
Diamond Necklace, who was providing her dam's esteemed family with a belated French Classic success after her half-sisters Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Philomene (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) had run second in the 2013 and 2021 runnings of the G1 Prix de Diane, is potentially headed to that Chantilly Classic now.
“She has plenty of natural speed and great ease in the way she does things,” O'Brien added. “I haven't really had the chance yet to speak with Ryan about how far she might stay, but we had it in our minds to either go for the Prix de Diane or the Oaks, depending on what the lads want to do.”
Aidan O'Brien | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
Pedigree notes: Diamond Necklace's remarkable dam Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) boasts six stakes performers headed by Galileo's (Ire) Magic Wand (Ire) and Montjeu's Chicquita who both won at the highest level with the latter capturing the Irish Oaks. There is also the aforementioned Philomene, who took the G3 Prix Penelope before emulating Chicquita in running second in the Chantilly Classic.
Magic Wand has produced the Group-placed Ecstatic (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), while Chicquita is responsible for three stakes performers including Dubawi's G2 Curragh Cup winner Emily Dickinson (Ire) and American Pharoah's (USA) G1 American Oaks runner-up and G1 Irish Oaks third Nicest (Ire).
The Listed-winning Prudenzia is a daughter of Fittocks Stud's Platonic (GB) (Zafonic {USA}) and therefore a half to the Group 3-winning Pacifique (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who is the second dam of Night Of Thunder's (Ire) dual Group-placed 3-year-old filly Skydance (GB) and Dubawi's G2 Prix Niel third Parachutiste (Ire).
This illustrious dynasty includes the G2 Debutante Stakes winner and G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes runner-up Vespertilio (Fr) also by Night Of Thunder and this stable's G1 Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}).
Sea The Moon's Rayif claims Classic glory in the Poulains
Aga Khan Studs homebred Rayif (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), whose year-older half-sister Rayevka (Ire) (Blue Point (Ire)) took the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges earlier on the card, became trainer Francis Graffard's first winner of Paris Longchamp's G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains with a dominant performance in this year's renewal. He becomes the the Aga Khan Studs' first winner of the race since Sendawar (Ire) in 1999.
“I always prefer to prepare the horses I train with races that gradually bring them towards the major targets, but this time I didn't really have a choice and I was forced to skip the prep races,” admitted Graffard.
“The rain arrived and complicated things a little for us, but we were fortunate to have a very good draw, which allowed us to race close to the pace. From there, everything unfolded perfectly and the horse was able to quicken again. He reaccelerated at the right moment and put everything together perfectly.
“He (Rayif) reaccelerated at the right moment and put everything together perfectly.” - Francis Graffard
“It's true that I've been enjoying a very good spell over the last few months,” he added. “We had a solid foundation to work from and we managed to stay faithful to it. Right now, several horses from the stable are performing at a very high level and it's hugely satisfying. I hope this momentum continues, because it's only the beginning of the season and it's already been a wonderful period for us. I didn't realise it had been so long since an Aga Khan Studs horse won this race, but this is a very important victory.
“In the racing industry, producing stallions and helping them establish themselves at stud is essential. With this success, he has clearly earned his place as a future stallion. His (half) sister won the (G3) Prix de Saint-Georges earlier today, so this is a family that continues to rise in strength.
“It's a real source of satisfaction for the whole team because this result rewards an enormous amount of hard work. We'll see how he comes out of the race, but the idea is to continue along this path and the (G1) St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot will be his next target.”
Francis Graffard | Image courtesy of Graffard Racing
The 11-2 chance was positioned in a close third after the initial strides of the one-mile Classic. Nudged along once into the home straight, he was ridden to challenge the pacesetting G3 Autumn Stakes winner Hankelow (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) with 300 metres remaining and kept on strongly inside the final furlong to defeat Godolphin's fast-finishing G3 Prix de Fontainebleau victor Komorebi (Ire) (Pinatubo {Ire}) by a length.
Hankelow was chinned by a head on the line for second place, while 9-10 favourite Puerto Rico (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was ideally placed to strike throughout, but lacked the necessary kick when it mattered and finished a neck back in fourth.
Pedigree notes: Rayif is the sixth of seven foals and leading performer out of the dual stakes-placed Rayisa (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), herself a half-sister to G3 Athasi Stakes victrix Rehana (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
His second dam Rayka (Ire) (Selkirk {USA}) is a half-sister to Group 3-winning G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Rayeni (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}).
James J Braddock wins the Derby Trial for Ozzie Kheir
Springing a minor surprise in Sunday's G3 Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown, Australian owner Ozzie Kheir's James J Braddock (GB) (Zarak {Fr}) swooped late to deny Pierre Bonnard (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) for Joseph in the all-O'Brien affair.
Sent off at 9-1 for the 10-furlong prep, the Ballysax fifth was waited with by Dylan Browne McMonagle and delivered in the nick of time to oust Ballydoyle's long-time ante-post Derby favourite in the shade of the post for a short-head verdict. Pierre Bonnard's pacemaking stablemate Endorsement (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) stuck to his task to be a neck away in third.
“He was tough and we thought he'd come on for his run the last day,” Joseph said. “We were worried about the fast ground, but you'd have to say he handled it well and was very comfortable. We were working towards the King Edward VII before today, but I suppose we now have to consider other options.
“He (James J Braddock) was tough and we thought he'd come on for his run the last day.” - Joseph O'Brien
“We'll discuss it with Ozzie (Kheir), this is the first horse we've had for him. He has a lot of horses in Australia and this is going to be a horse who will hopefully turn up in the top international races through the course of his career.”
“The Derby does look an open race and I guess this guy is one of the contenders now, having won his trial,” he added. “We always thought he'd love going a mile and a half and if we did want to go there he's earned his spot, but we'll see how the next week goes and discuss it with Ozzie.”
Joseph O'Brien | Image courtesy of Goffs
Pedigree notes: James J Braddock is the first foal out of Burkina Faso (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}), a half-sister to the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio and G3 Pride Stakes winner Angel Power (GB) (Lope De Vega (Ire)) and the Listed scorer Flaming Stone (GB) (Kingman {GB}) who was placed in the G2 Prix Saint Alary and G3 Prix Vanteaux.
From the family of the high-class half-siblings Borgia (GB) (Acatenango {Ger}) and Boreal (Ger) (Java Gold {USA}) which includes Lope De Vega's (Ire) G3 Killavullan Stakes scorer and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas-placed Blue De Vega (Ger), her 2-year-old Baaeed (GB) filly was sold for 80,000gns (AU$158,000) to Julie Camacho at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale.
