• Winner: £442,946,  Runners: 17,  Distance: 1m2f110y,  Going: Good

Star Of Seville: bids for Oaks compensation at Chantilly

 PICTURE: Martin Lynch (racingpost.com/photos)

Star Of Seville out to shine in Prix de Diane

Preview: France, Sunday (2.45pm BST) 

Chantilly: Prix de Diane Longines (Group 1) 1m2½f, 3yo fillies

A WEEK on from Golden Horn’s Derby triumph, John Gosden and Frankie Dettori will face strong hometown opposition in the shape of the unbeaten Queen’s Jewel as they hunting further Classic glory with Star Of Seville.

Ridden by William Buick at Epsom nine days ago, Star Of Seville was almost wiped out in scrimmaging and bids for swift compensation now that she drops back down to the same trip as her win in the Musidora Stakes last month. 

Like Dettori as a previous winner of the Diane, Richard Hughes will be hoping for better luck on Malabar than the last time he rode her, when the pair suffered plenty of trouble before running on to be fourth in the Prix Marcel Boussac last October.

Not even being handed the widest draw of all in stall 17 has dampened Freddy Head’s enthusiasm for  the unbeaten Queen’s Jewel, who vaulted straight from maiden winner to Group 3 success when scoring in the Prix Penelope, before landing  the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary in equally emphatic style.

Ex-Italian trained Fontanelice bids to uphold the Poule d’Essai form, having finished a staying-on fourth to Ervedya, while compatriot Sound Of Freedom found only one colt too good in the Derby Italiano. 

Little Nightingale won the Prix Cleopatre under a strong drive from Umberto Rispoli having pulled hard early and is expected to step up on that display by trainer Mikel Delzangles.

The lightly-made Mojo Risin completed her preparation with a Listed win at Toulouse and makes a first foray outside the provinces for race specialist Jean-Claude Rouget, while both Physiocrate and Desiree Clary did enough when first and second in a Chantilly conditions race to persuade connections to supplement.

What they say

Jean-Claude Rouget, trainer of Stay The Night and Mojo Risin
There are a lot of fillies who have place claims and I think Stay The Night’s are as good as any. Mojo Risin’s main attribute is her class. I could be wrong but I will be very disappointed if she isn’t in the first three. 

Mario Hofer, trainer of Moonee Valley
She is certainly no 50-1 chance as the British bookmakers have her. She ran well enough in the Prix Cleopatre last time and was giving weight away, Ioritz Mendizibal knows her well having won on her last year at Deauville and I expect her to run well.

John Gosden, trainer of Star Of Seville
They played bumper cars when she ran in the Epsom Oaks when she got knocked into but she didn’t have a hard race because of it. She’s come out of it fine and we are happy to take our chance. There is a good filly in there that won the Group 1 [Queen's Jewel] but we are hoping she will be in the shake up.

Pascal Bary, trainer of Desiree Clary
After we bought her she won well at Chantilly and then confirmed that impression last time, when she was slightly caught out by the winner. She is very well and it is an open race.

Mick Channon, trainer of Malabar
The filly is in great form and I hope nothing else goes wrong for her. She ran well in the Guineas and and then went to Ireland and got flattened. She’s been a very unlucky filly so far but I am sure things will come right for her one day.

Peter Schiergen, trainer of Nightflower
She has come on again since her Hoppegarten win but of course I know that this is much tougher and Queen’s Jewel looks hard to beat. She is very straightforward and I expect her to run a big race but basically I shall be delighted if she finishes in the frame.

Elie Lellouche, trainer of Business Lawyer
The filly won her conditions race at Longchamp very well in April and so we decided to go directly to the Diane. It’s a very open race apart from Freddy’s horse. My filly is very well and will go there a fresh horse.

Freddy Head, trainer of Queen’s Jewel
We’ll get by with the draw. She is in great form and I have been very happy with her preparation. After only three runs there is no way of knowing her limits but for sure she is a very good filly. 

Mikel Delzangles, trainer of Little Nightingale
The filly is really well and the draw in stall six is perfect, though It is a hard enough race. She was in showing signs of being in season for the Cleopatre but she won and she fought hard which is important. She was a bit fresh which meant she pulled a little but that shouldn’t be the case this time.

Criquette Head-Maarek, trainer of Fontanelice
Physically she has improved quite a lot and I am sure she will run well. I don’t think the distance will be a problem because [over a mile] she seems to get caught for speed but she always fights on.