Prix de Diane: Swiss Range ready to peak

A field of sixteen fillies has been declared for Sunday’s contest over an extended mile and a quarter in which trainer Jean-Claude Rouget will be bidding to win his third French classic of the season. Successful in the Prix du Jockey Club a fortnight ago, he’ll also be attempting to complete the French Derby/Oaks double again which he achieved in 2009 with Le Havre and Stacelita. Le Havre is the sire of La Cressonniere who kept her unbeaten record when winning the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at Deauville last month and now goes for a classic double of her own on Sunday.

She certainly has the right profile for the race as seven consecutive renewals of the Prix de Diane between 2008 and 2014 went to unbeaten fillies, while three of those, Zarkava, Golden Lilac and Avenir Certain, were completing the French Guineas/Oaks double. Avenir Certain was also trained by Rouget (becoming the stable’s third Prix de Diane winner since 2009), she too a daughter of Le Havre.

La Cressonniere is one of the leading contenders on form, though given that neither she nor Prix du Jockey Club winner Almanzor were their stable’s apparent first strings when winning their classics, it’s worth mentioning the other two Rouget fillies in the field. Both won in pattern company last time out, with Jemayel successful in the Prix Saint-Alary at Deauville (wearing cheekpieces for the first time) and Zghorta Dance beating Azaelia in the Prix Vanteaux here at Chantilly.

The biggest home-trained danger to La Cressonniere looks to be Volta who would be a first classic winner for her trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. She has won all three of her starts this season, progressing again last time when running out a four-length winner of the Prix de Sandringham at Chantilly a fortnight ago when showing an impressive turn of foot. It will be her first try beyond a mile, but connections have supplemented her in the belief she’ll get the trip and there’s plenty of encouragement from her pedigree as three of her siblings have won over a mile and a half.

Another of the main contenders stepping up in trip is 1000 Guineas runner-up Ballydoyle. Aidan O’Brien has yet to win either of the Chantilly classics but has a good chance with this filly who rounded off last season with a win in the Prix Marcel Boussac. She shaped well behind stable-companion Minding at Newmarket, having to barge her way out and keeping on well. Doubts about her staying the Oaks trip meant she didn’t go to Epsom but, by Galileo after all, she shouldn’t have any trouble with Sunday’s distance. O’Brien also runs Coolmore who ran no sort of race in the Irish 1000 Guineas last time.

Swiss Range hasn’t been tried so highly yet as the likes of La Cressonniere, Volta or Ballydoyle, but her form looks at least as good as that trio and she has plenty of scope to improve further with just three runs to date. All of those have come at Newmarket where, fitted with a hood, she’s been an impressive winner of her two races this season. Having won a maiden by five lengths, she followed up in the listed Pretty Polly Stakes on 1000 Guineas day where she had recent Ribblesdale Stakes winner Even Song beaten nearly six lengths back in third. The Prix de Diane was mentioned straight afterwards as her target, and she can give John Gosden and Frankie Dettori a second consecutive win in the race after Star of Seville twelve months ago.

The remainder have more improvement to find but there are several others with place prospects. Highlands Queen is the other supplementary entry after her five-length win in the Prix Cleopatre at Saint-Cloud last time. Camprock completed a hat-trick when beating The Juliet Rose in the Prix Penelope at the same track before losing her unbeaten record narrowly to Jemayel in the Prix Saint-Alary. The Juliet Rose has won both her starts since at Chantilly, though she’ll be dropping back in trip and had the run of the race when making all in the Prix de Royaumont last time in contrast to the well-bred Andre Fabre filly Armande who met all sorts of trouble behind her in third.

Recommendation:

Back Swiss Range in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly

Timeform weight-adjusted ratings:

Swiss Range 133p

Ballydoyle 130p

La Cressonniere 130p

Volta 130p

Jemayel 125