Diamond Necklace Formidable in Prix de Diane

Diamond Necklace (IRE) will attempt to become the first filly trained outside of France to achieve a significant treble, while keeping up the relentless pace achieved by Aidan O'Brien with his 3-year-olds this classic campaign. The daughter of St Mark's Basilica (FR) has last season's Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches (G1) and the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1) on her CV and, were she to add the June 14 Prix de Diane (French Oaks, G1), she would join Allez France, Divine Proportions, Zarkava (IRE), and Blue Rose Cen (IRE) in having completed that trio of group 1 victories. O'Brien already has four of the six major European classics over a mile to his name, as well as the Epsom and Chantilly versions of the Derby, and will be hoping Diamond Necklace can earn him a second Diane, as well as a first win in the race for Ryan Moore. "Everything has gone well with Diamond Necklace and we've been very happy with her," O'Brien said. "The plan was always if everything went well in the Guineas to come here. We've always thought a mile and a quarter shouldn't be a problem to her. "She's very like her sire, and when he went up to a mile and a quarter he improved again. Everything she does is very like him." Wayne Lordan rides the Justify filly Moments of Joy, of whom O'Brien said: "She ran in the Musidora at York. They went a little bit steady for her but she ran OK. We think she'll like the trip and she'll like the track as well." The Opposition Evolutionist (IRE) has classic form in the book and is another who may find improvement at this trip, for all that Karl Burke hinted during the week that her work has caused a tinge of regret about taking her out of the Coronation Stakes (G1) over a mile at Ascot. Green Spirit put up an extraordinary performance to come third in the Poule d'Essai when compromised by a wide draw, actually running a faster closing 3 furlongs than Diamond Necklace, so she has claims if seeing out the trip. Then there is the prospect of a challenge emerging from one of the British classic trialists. Felicitas (GB) had the form of her Musidora Stakes (G3) second boosted by Legacy Link (GB) in the Epsom Oaks (G1) and looked to stay the trip fine at York, for all her family is essentially one of the fillies who didn't get much farther than a mile. The daughter of 2013 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) winner Dank (GB), Lilt (GB) looked more than ready for a step up in distance when overcoming a flat spot to power clear in the Michael Seely Memorial Stakes. David Menuisier is convinced that Inis Mor (FR) didn't run her race in the One Thousand Guineas (G1). She showed much more spark when picking up well in the Height Of Fashion Stakes. And perhaps as intriguing as any of them is Esna (IRE), who was not beaten that far by Diamond Necklace and Green Spirit in the Boussac, and who bounced back from finishing fourth in the Pretty Polly Stakes when showing great resolution to battle past Sacred Ground (GB) at Newbury. All four will need to take a major step forward to trouble an on-song Diamond Necklace, but each has shown enough promise to suggest it's far from impossible.