If Bow Echo had to overcome difficulties to keep his unbeaten record at Glorious Goodwood, it could hardly have been more simple for Diamond Necklace to do the same in the Nassau Stakes (G1) July 30 at Goodwood Racecourse
"It was very easy really," Ryan Moore said afterward, his pithy summary perfectly covering how little doubt there was that Diamond Necklace would add to her top-level victories in the Prix Marcel Boussac (G1), Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1), and Prix de Diane (G1).
As pacemaker, Moments of Joy went forward, Diamond Necklace's chief market rival Friendly Soul tucked in behind the leader and the odds-on favorite tracked along in third.
At the cutaway, with 2 furlongs to go, Friendly Soul moved into the lead. Moore could not have been less bothered, sitting motionless on his filly and waiting for his moment to push on and seal the deal.
Under a hands-and-heels ride, Diamond Necklace took over in front and was punched out to score, Moore saying afterward that her idleness in front was as much the reason for doing so as anything.
Moore said: "She was very confident today. It's the best she's felt, and she's improving with her racing. She's up in her weight and is clearly thriving.
"She's a proper racing machine. She gives you a classy feel. Her father (St Mark's Basilica) had a very good turn of foot and that's evident in her."
In the end, she won the 1 1/4-mile race by 2 3/4 lengths over Friendly Soul, who finished 5 lengths clear of See The Fire in third.
For Aidan O'Brien, who was winning a 14th group 1 of the season, Diamond Necklace's victory opened up a slew of options, although whether they include the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) is uncertain.
"She was getting heavy this filly, and I was a bit worried," he said. "(Her riders) were happy she was stronger rather than heavy. She's a very special filly I'd say.
"She has options now, she could stay at a mile and a quarter and go to the fillies' race in France, to Leopardstown or to an Arc trial, she has everything open to her," he said. "She does handle soft ground as well as fast and she's a great cruiser, she's a lot of quality and is progressing great, so we're over the moon.
"I don't know how far we'll go, her next run will tell us where we go after that. She could end up anywhere: Ascot, Longchamp, the Breeders' Cup. She has a long stride on her and she loves a fast track so she has a lot of options."
With the Nassau part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, Diamond Necklace earned a fees-paid, automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
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