Diamond Necklace Headlines Prix Jean Romanet Field

Diamond Necklace (IRE) looks to take the next step along her road to being mentioned among the great modern fillies in the Aug. 23 Prix Jean Romanet (G1) at Deauville Racecourse. A dual classic winner and undefeated star, the daughter of St Mark's Basilica (FR) proved much too strong for her elders when handing Friendly Soul (GB) and See The Fire (GB) a sound beating in the Nassau Stakes (G1) July 30 at Goodwood Racecourse. "Everything has gone well with Diamond Necklace since her win at Goodwood," trainer Aidan O'Brien said. "She has form on right-handed tracks, so Deauville should be fine for her and she also has soft ground form. At the moment, a mile and a quarter is suiting her well." The question of whether O'Brien and the Coolmore partners will consider stepping Diamond Necklace up to 1 1/2 miles for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) might reemerge once this target is out of the way, while Diamond Necklace is joined in the lineup by a pair of 3-year-old stablemates. O'Brien added: "Hopefully, Beautify will run well. She's a group 2 winner and we're hoping to get more black type. Moments of Joy is a solid group filly and we'd be delighted if she got some black type." Beautify (IRE) won the 2025 Airlie Stud Stakes (G2) at 2, but has failed to recapture that form at 3, well beaten in four starts this year. Moments of Joy, group 3-placed at 2, has likewise been off the board in her last five starts, most recently when fifth behind Diamond Necklace in the Nassau. The 5-year-old Aventure (IRE) has some really impressive back form to recommend, having chased home Bluestocking (GB) in the 2024 Arc and then winning the Prix Vermeille (G1) at age 4. Here, she bids to show that 1 1/4 miles is really her sport at the age of 5, having faded late on behind Calandagan (IRE) in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) over 1 1/2 miles last time. "It's unusual in a top-class horse that you end up bringing them back in trip as they get older, but she seems to be getting faster, and Maxime (Guyon) has suggested coming back to this trip several times," said Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for Aventure's owner/breeders Alain and Gerard Wertheimer. "We were prevented from going to Ireland for the Pretty Polly by the extreme heat, and her run in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud confirmed our thinking, because she traveled into the race really well before not really seeing it out. "Christophe Ferland says she's in great form, she has already won around Deauville and ease in the ground won't bother her—quite the opposite. She has a lot going for her, but it's a really good field and we have more than just Diamond Necklace to worry about."