Colin Keane will take his first group 1 ride as retained jockey in the Juddmonte silks in the June 15 Prix de Diane (French Oaks, G1) after Better Together featured among 12 fillies declared for the Chantilly Racecourse classic.
Keane has taken up the role just in time for a host of important rides at Royal Ascot next week, but will first be aboard the Andre Fabre-trained Better Together in the French Oaks.
The daughter of Oasis Dream, who will break from stall 9, put up an eye-catching performance when a fast-closing fifth in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, G1) last month under Alexis Pouchin, and is a general 6-1 to get Keane off to a dream start in his new role.
"Andre says she's in good shape and he's very happy with her, and I think her last piece of work earlier this week was good," said Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon. "Andre felt from early that 10 furlongs was going to be more her cup of tea, so everything has been pointing towards this race since she won the Prix Imprudence.
"She's out of a very good mare by Dansili and they all stay well so we'd be confident that she should stay. I think Andre would say his preference would be good ground as she's a good-actioned filly. But she won at Deauville last year on terrible ground, while her good run in the Pouliches was on a much sounder surface."
Keane made a flying visit to Newmarket June 11 to have a sit on Lead Artist before the June 17 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) and although he will not have had the same opportunity to get to know Better Together, as Mahon pointed out, unfamiliarity proved no barrier to classic success aboard both Westover and Field of Gold.
"Colin will sit on her in the parade ring and he'll figure her out going down to the start," said Mahon. "Obviously a classic is a big day to start off, but he's well capable and he's done it before so we'll leave it to him and see how he gets on."
Shes Perfect bids for classic redemption on her first start at further than a mile under Kieran Shoemark, five weeks on from being demoted after passing the post first in the Poule d'Essai. Basher Watts revealed Wednesday that he and his syndicate have turned down a $2.5 million offer for the filly.
Shes Perfect has drawn stall 7, while further British interest comes in the shape of the Ed Walker-trained American Gal, who will be ridden by Tom Marquand and is in stall 8, while Oisin Murphy has been booked aboard Sand Gazelle (stall 4) for John and Thady Gosden and the Thoroughbred Racing Corporation.
The field also inccludes Al Shaqab's D'ores Et Deja and Rosa Salvaje—a group 3-placed filly by Maximum Security —for Christopher Head.
