‘Wonderful’ Aventure downs Diamond Necklace in Romanet
Aidan O’Brien hinted Diamond Necklace might step up in trip. Pic: Joe Giddens/PA Wire.
Diamond Necklace tasted defeat for the first time as Aventure served a reminder of her top-class credentials in the Sumbe Prix Jean et Louis Romanet at Deauville.
Aidan O’Brien’s daughter of St Mark’s Basilica was expected to dazzle once again in France, as she has done when landing the Prix Marcel Boussac, Poule d’Essai Des Pouliches and Prix de Diane on her travels during what was an unbeaten six-race career to date.
However, she had no answer to the experience of her Christophe Ferland-trained elder, who added to last year’s Group One strike in the Prix Vermeille to the delight of her connections.
Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for owners the Wertheimer brothers, said: “We’re very happy and when she won the Prix Corrida earlier this year we were very happy but then made a mistake by running over a mile and a half in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
“There was a strong field of fillies including Diamond Necklace, but what our mare did is just wonderful, she is such a champion. We will be very happy to have her as a broodmare one day, but we will enjoy her racing for the moment!”
Second to Bluestocking in the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Aventure earned a quote of 20-1 for this year’s renewal by Paddy Power following her triumph over O’Brien’s star performer in the hands of Maxime Guyon.
However, there will be no third attempt at Europe’s richest middle-distance prize for the five-year-old who will instead remain at 10 furlongs for the Prix de l’Opera post the main event on Arc day before a possible trip to Keeneland.
Bureau added: “It’s quite unusual, but this filly is getting more speed with age and 10 furlongs is her perfect trip now. She has been really well prepared for this race.
“The plan is to run her in the Prix de l’Opera and then if everything goes well we might take her to the Breeders’ Cup for the Filly & Mare Turf, but we will take it step-by-step and one race at a time. The next step will be the Prix de l’Opera.”
O’Brien hinted Diamond Necklace, who was pushed out to 16-1 from 8-1 by Coral for the Arc, might step up in trip.
The Ballydoyle handler said: “She ran well, but the winner was better than her today. We were very happy with her going into the race and the ground was not a concern.
“We will take her home now and see how she comes out of the race. She could be tried over 2,400 metres (mile and a half) this autumn.”
In a close-up third was the Charlie Johnston-trained Timeforshowcasing, who ran a big race in the hands of Jack Mitchell.
Johnston said: “I’m absolutely delighted. She has raced a lot this year and travelled extensively. To be honest, I thought we might have been setting the bar a little too high today against the best fillies in Europe. But once again, she has taken another step forward.
“To be fair to her, I think the ground is absolutely crucial. If you look at her performances this year on good or softer ground, she has won a Listed race and a Group Two and has been placed in two Group Ones. The ground is clearly key to her, and I think she may get a little more respect in the future. But she really is a very high-class filly.”
