Running Lion v Blue Rose Cen: which of the two Prix de Diane favourites will cope best with tricky draw?

A wide draw over 1m2½f at Chantilly is always a concern, thanks to the long sweep of the right-hand turn that takes the field in front of the Grandes Ecuries and the chateau.

The introduction of France Galop’s tracking system in recent years shows just how much of a disadvantage it can be; last year third-placed Rosacea, drawn 17, ran 5.36 metres further than the winner, Nashwa, who broke from stall two; in 2021 the difference between first-placed Joan Of Arc (stall five) and third-placed Burgarita (stall 14) was 4.77 metres.

The trap that Oisin Murphy will want to avoid on Running Lion from stall 12 is to be caught three or four wide around a turn that lasts for almost a third of the race. 

PJ McDonald won aboard Laurens from the same berth in 2018 and Murphy will have to decide if he wants to be similarly positive.

Running Lion was highly impressive in strolling four and a half lengths clear of her rivals in the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket last month but there is a suspicion that her place at the top of the market is at least in part due to her previous position in the upper echelons of the ante-post betting for the Oaks, a race she missed when giving trouble at the start. 

The last three fillies to win the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at two and then the Classic double of the Pouliches and Diane at three were Allez France, Divine Proportions and Zarkava, and Blue Rose Cen can rightly be considered a modern great if she adds her name to the list. 

Christopher Head has long been convinced that the 1m2½f of the Diane would be the most suitable trip for her at three, although her victories at a mile in the Prix de la Grotte and the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches were so brilliant that he could be forgiven for having second thoughts. 

Stall one could prove a blessing or a curse. Blue Rose Cen will have the least ground to cover but will need the gaps to arrive up a home straight where hard-luck stories are not uncommon. 

Lindy has chased her home twice this season and has a chance of getting closer, although she may require Blue Rose Cen to run out of stamina to prevail.  

If the winner is to come from outside the front two, the unbeaten pair of Pensee Du Jour and Jannah Rose are surely major threats. 

Pensee Du Jour and Bauyrzhan Murzabayev after the Prix Penelope

Jannah Rose has shown the greater turn of foot but Pensee Du Jour may not be as one-dimensional as her three front-running victories suggest, having raced in behind two lead horses in a recent racecourse gallop at Saint-Cloud. 

Elusive Princess ran a marginally faster final three furlongs than Jannah Rose when chasing her home in the Prix Saint-Alary and has been supplemented at a cost of €66,000. 

Novakai was running for the first time since October when second to Oaks winner Souls Sister in the Musidora, while Caroline Street weaved her way through plenty of traffic to land the Blue Wind Stakes in a way that could prove handy in this race. 

Running Lion 'will need a lot of luck' from wide draw

Both of the Gosden team's previous Diane winners, Star Of Seville and Nashwa, were backing up after running in the Oaks, a race Running Lion was forced to miss at the last moment.

Running Lion streaks clear in the Pretty Polly StakesCredit: Edward Whitaker

"Running Lion had an unfortunate episode at Epsom when she kicked the back gate of her stall and had to be withdrawn, but she was fine afterwards and has since passed a mandatory stalls test at Chelmsford," said joint-trainer John Gosden. 

"We've been pleased with her since then and this looks a good spot for her as she's enjoyed going right-handed around Kempton. Unfortunately she has what looks like 'Le Rosbif' draw in stall 12, so she'll need a lot of luck from there, especially as the favourite is drawn one." 

What they say

Karl Burke, trainer of Novakai
She ran very well at York and looks as though she's come on a lot, as all of ours have. She looks great and has travelled over well. We'll look to sit handy. She's versatile ground-wise and if they caught a shower I wouldn't mind.

Carlos Laffon-Parias, trainer of Jannah Rose and Left Sea
They went a good gallop in the Saint-Alary and she's a filly with plenty of speed who you can put anywhere in a race. If she has one fault it’s that she can be a little bit tricky entering the stalls. But she did exactly what Christophe [Soumillon] asked of her in the Saint-Alary and won with a bit in hand. Maybe it was just a below-par run for Left Sea there and I don’t really have an explanation. But she worked well afterwards and impressed me with the way she won last Sunday.

Christophe Soumillon and Jannah Rose after victory in the Prix Saint-Alary

Andre Fabre, trainer of Pensee Du Jour
She has trained well recently and is going well. It's a competitive race with fillies who have performed well over shorter distances meeting those who are more staying types, which is the case with mine. There are some fillies here with a lot of pace and I wouldn't push her to challenge them early. If nobody wants to go to the front she can, but that won't be the strategy.

Christophe Ferland, trainer of Lindy
We ran her in the Poule d'Essai rather than the Prix Saint-Alary because I wanted to step her up in trip progressively She has only been beaten this year by Blue Rose Cen, who is the best filly around a mile. The saying is "never two without three" but Lindy will have plenty in her favour, notably the longer trip.

Francis Graffard, trainer of Tasmania
I've always liked her but she was a bit slow to come to hand this year, which is why I ended up going to the same race at Chantilly as with Channel before she won the Diane. She has progressed a lot – I knew I'd left something to work on when she won last time – and she has a sharp turn of foot. She comes here a fresh filly who hasn't had too many tough battles and now it's a case of whether she's good enough.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Never Ending Story
We always thought the Diane would suit her, stepping up in trip, and she's got a good draw too. The French Guineas was a bit messy. She got caught a bit far back and they didn't go very quick either, so it didn't happen for her. It was always the plan to come here next and we're hoping she can go well.

Caroline Street and Dylan Browne McMonagle win the Blue Wind StakesCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Caroline Street
This race has been the target since her win at Naas. Her preparation has gone well and we're very happy to get a low draw beside some of the fancied ones. I think she has a live each-way chance.

Andreas Wohler, trainer of Lady Ewelina
Her last win showed us she would be better over a longer distance. She has come on very well from that and I think she's pretty good. She could cause a bit of a surprise.

Michael Figge, trainer of Romina Power
I think she improved when she won last time at Baden-Baden over 1,800 metres [1m1f]. Before that Christophe Soumillon felt she found the ground too heavy at Saint-Cloud, while she was only 65 per cent ready at Cagnes-sur-Mer for her first run in February. She has never raced right-handed but has trained well on the sand going that way round.

Christopher Head, trainer of Blue Rose Cen and Wise Girl 
I haven't changed my mind about Blue Rose Cen being able to handle the trip and we all want to see her take up the challenge of joining those legendary names. She deserves to try because she has been perfect throughout. She has the experience and the temperament for this and I can't wait to see her step up over this distance. Wise Girl is made for a Saint-Alary or a Diane because of her staying capacity allied to some speed. Unfortunately she took a long time to come to herself after the winter and so we couldn't follow the usual pattern of prep races. She has improved and is not in there to set the pace.

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