All systems go for Diamond Necklace double bid, says O’Brien
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 9 Jun 2026
Diamond Necklace will be joined by Moments Of Joy as Aidan O’Brien set his sights on landing a third French Classic of the season in Sunday’s Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly.
The Ballydoyle handler reported his unbeaten French Guineas winner, Diamond Necklace, in suitably sparkling form at home ahead of her step up from a mile to 10 furlongs.
And while O’Brien suggested Beautify and White Sand Beach are unlikely to make the journey at the weekend, he believes his second-string Moments Of Joy strengthens his hand in an attempt to land only a second win in the race.
“It’s all been good with Diamond Necklace (since Longchamp) and we have been very happy with her and the plan was always, if everything went well in the Guineas, to go for the Prix de Diane,” said the trainer, who won with Joan Of Arc in 2021.
“Obviously she won nicely the last day and it is her second run and so if she did that again we would be over the moon, but everything has gone well.”
Moments Of Joy would appear likely to join the favourite on the Ballydoyle ticket, with O’Brien indicating she will sidestep a possible date at Royal Ascot for Sunday.
“She ran in the Musidora at York where they went a little bit steady for her. She ran OK and was a possible for the Oaks (at Epsom) or the Ribblesdale (at Royal Ascot), but at the moment we are thinking she will go for the Diane,” he said.
“We are expecting improvement from her and we think she will like the trip and the track as well.”
Newmarket Guineas runner-up Evolutionist is aiming to go one better for trainer Karl Burke and owners Forz Europe Ltd, with the latter’s racing and bloodstock manager Paul Curran insisting the filly was “flying”.
“She’s just left Karl’s this morning and she’s in good form, she’s flying. She’s looking fantastic after coming out of the Guineas a couple of weeks ago and she’s ready and we’re relishing it and looking forward to Sunday,” said Curran.
“It’s a step up in trip and it’s one we don’t think she’ll have any problem with. We’ve been kind of pinmarking her for a mile and a quarter and she’s a big filly, she’s plenty of scope and one we feel will relish that step up to a mile and a quarter no problem.
“We’ll keep an eye on the ground, but certainly things are looking in her favour so far and we’re looking forward to seeing what she can do over this distance.”
Evolutionist has won in Paris already this term, landing the Prix de la Grotte, a French Guineas trial, at Longchamp on her seasonal return. Curran believes that bodes well.
“We’ve gone and won a Guineas trial out in France, we’ve taken on the French horses and French fillies already and we’ve seen how well that went and she had a nice run in the 1000 Guineas,” he said.
“We’re quietly confident, but we know it’ll take a very good horse to win an Oaks and a Classic and it isn’t easily done.
“But she’s got a lot of credentials that she could potentially do something like that and she’s an exciting filly and we’re really, really looking forward to Sunday now.”
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