Gezora Hands Graffard Rare 3-Of-4 In Diane

US-owned filly's win also gives proof that top jockey Soumillon's star has not dimmed

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PARIS - French filly Gezora came off a superb late surge to win the €1 million (S$1.48 million) Group 1 Prix de Diane (2,100m) at her home track of Chantilly on June 15.

The Almanzor three-year-old is trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, who had three runners in the race, all of whom finished among the top four.

The Aga Khan pair of Cankoura (Clement Lecoeuvre) and Mandanaba (Mickael Barzalona) finished third and fourth respectively, split by the Irish-trained Bedtime Story (Ryan Moore) in second for Coolmore and Aidan O'Brien.

Such a grouped finish is unmatched in recent memory in the Prix de Diane and a remarkable achievement for Graffard, who won the French filly classic once before, with Channel in 2019.

The Godolphin-trained conditioner was particularly moved with that second success, more so when it was earned in front of his father, who once harboured career aspirations in a horsepower of a different kind for his son.

"It's incredibly emotional, especially with my father here today," he said.