By Tom Frary
There were the usual winners and losers in equal measure during Thursday's draw for Chantilly's G1 Prix de Diane Longines, with David Howden's Listed Pretty Polly S. winner Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion) receiving stall 12 of 15 in Sunday's 10 1/2-furlong Classic. Despite that unfavourable post position and her antics in the starting gate ahead of the Epsom Oaks, the John and Thady Gosden trainee is deemed the likely favourite ahead of Yeguada Centurion SL's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) who drew the inside rail. Ballymore Thoroughbred Ltd's Listed Prix Rose de Mai and G3 Prix Penelope-winning TDN Rising Star Pensee Du Jour (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) was not done any favours in 11 in a race which has been won by fillies drawn in double figures only twice in the last 10 runnings.
One of the duo to overcome a wide post was Star Of Seville (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) in 2015, and her trainer John Gosden knows the significance of the draw. “She's a tough filly and she needs to be from stall 12,” he stated. “She's in great form and we're really happy with her and her work has been great this year. She's very business-like, both in the mornings and her races and has shown nothing but a great mental attitude to her racing and has been very consistent.”
Others of note include Ballydoyle's Never Ending Story (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in stall three, Everest Racing's Pouliches runner-up Lindy (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) in 13 and Al Shira'aa Farms's unbeaten G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Jannah Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in seven. The Saint-Alary runner-up Elusive Princess (Fr) (Martinborough {Jpn}), supplemented by LNJ Foxwoods, is in stall 14.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
