The French filly Sparkling Plenty, ridden by jockey Tony Piccone, wins the Prix de Diane, June 16, 2024 in Chantilly, Oise
AFP PHOTO / Sameer Al-Doumy
In front of a crowd of spectators, including many women wearing hats, 14 thoroughbred fillies, including the favorite Gala Real, set off on soft, good ground under light rain.
A wait-and-see with resources, Sparkling Plenty, who appeared as an outsider, got involved in the final race from the post of the last 400 meters. She gained ranks on the outside to win near the post after having fought for a long time with Aventure for victory. She gave a final push to make the difference, ahead of the filly Survie driven by Stéphane Pasquier by a head.
“Honestly it’s weird. I’m happy but I don’t realize it! The entourage did an extraordinary job,” said Tony Piccone at the Equidia microphone. At 36, he won his first Prix de Diane. .
“I rode it like a handicap. I was a little scared because I wasn’t very good on it because when it accelerates, it comes apart. It was super tough, it’s incredible!” he added.
Its owner, Jean-Pierre Dubois, a figure in the trotting world, also breeder of the new Queen of Chantilly, very moved, admitted “having seen almost nothing of the race”.
Like Mr. Dubois, Patrice Cottier, the trainer of Sparkling Plenty, thanked his jockey for “his magnificent race”. “She did her last 600 meters very, very, very quickly,” he estimated.
Trainer Nicolas Clément, whose filly Survie, created a surprise, praised the good riding of Stéphane Pasquier.
“The filly traveled well on the outside, Stéphane used it very well. We are beaten by a head but I am satisfied with a second place and thank the owner Augustin Normand. The filly shows that she is as tough as the iron”.
The filly Tamfana, trained in England by the Frenchman David Menuisier, driven by the Irishman Oisin Murphy snatched 3rd place by half a length from Survie.
“As I passed the post I was divided between sadness and joy. The race was not very fast and his jockey Oisin blames himself for not having been more ready. We will certainly continue with the Prix de l ‘Arc de Triomphe”, said David Menuisier.
The filly Aventure, one of the favorites ridden by Maxime Guyon, finished at the foot of the podium very close to the first.
“I came as if to win. I traveled really well, unfortunately, we got caught up just to finish 150 meters from the post,” explained Maxime Guyon. “We have nothing to be ashamed of this 4th place.
As for the favorite Gala Real entrusted to the Belgian Christophe Soumillon, she finished in 9th place.
With this success in this legendary race, the filly with the bay (brown) dress offered her entourage the 571,400 euros promised to the new queen of Chantilly out of the million euros in various bonuses paid to the top five.
