Joan Of Arc Crowned Prix De Diane Heroine
Joan Of Arc (3f Galileo - You’resothrilling, by Storm Cat) gained compensation for her narrow defeat in the Irish 1,000 Guineas when staying on well to land the Group 1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly on Sunday.
Beaten just a short head by stablemate Empress Josephine (Galileo) in the Irish Classic, the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly stepped up to ten furlongs for the first time at Chantilly. Chasing the leader under Ioritz Mendizabal, she was asked to quicken approaching the two furlong market and stayed on well to lead 50 yards from the line. Eased down close home, she won by three parts of a length on the line.
“For me it's unimaginable and completely magical,” Mendizabal said after the race. “Look at the filly, she's run her race and she's completely relaxed like it was a piece of morning work. She deserves all the credit.”
Sunday marked a first win in the feature for O’Brien, who said, “She has a lovely mind, is very well balanced and has a big, long stride. I suppose what was very exciting about her today, she went through the line very well.”
The winner of a Curragh maiden in March, Joan Of Arc progressed to take the Group 3 Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial in May. The Coolmore homebred becomes a 91st individual Group/Grade 1 winner by Galileo and a fourth top-level winner out of You’resothrilling, after Gleneagles (Galileo), Marvellous (Galileo) and Happily (Galileo).