Gezora and Jockey Christophe Soumillon Bring Glory to France and America in the Prix de Diane Longines
Credit : Scoopdyga
French filly Gezora won the Prix de Diane Longines on Sunday, after a superb late surge down the outside. She is trained in Chantilly (Oise) by Francis-Henri Graffard, who had three runners in the race—all of whom finished among the top four: Gezora (1st), Cankoura (3rd), and Mandanaba (4th). Only the Irish-trained Bedtime Story(2nd) managed to split the trio. Such a grouped finish is a remarkable achievement for the Chantilly-based trainer, unmatched in recent memory in the Diane.
The win was fairly expected, as the filly had just claimed the Auguste Rodin Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary, one of the official prep races for the Prix de Diane Longines.
Gezora was ridden by Belgian-born, France-based jockey Christophe Soumillon, multiple-time Cravache d’Or (top jockey in France), who secured his third win in the Diane after Latice (2004) and Zarkava (2008).
She is owned by American billionaire Peter Brant (White Birch Farm), a major industrialist known in particular for owning the world’s finest collection of Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings. The flamboyant American has campaigned many horses in France, most notably the champion Sottsass (Siyouni), winner of the Prix du Jockey Club and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2020. His best result in the Diane prior to this was a second-place finish with the brilliant Sistercharlie in 2017.
Gezora was bred at Haras d’Etreham, located in Bessin, at the eastern end of Calvados (Normandy). The stud has belonged to the Chambure family for generations and is currently run by Nicolas de Chambure. Numerous champions have been bred there, including Urban Sea (winner of the Arc and dam of miracle sires Galileo and Sea the Stars), Maximova, Septieme Ciel, Anabaa Blue, King’s Best… and more recently, European Champion Almanzor, sire of Gezora.
The last Diane winner bred at Haras d’Etreham was Montenica, back in 1947.
The official Result
1st GEZORA (C. Soumillon)
2nd BEDTIME STORY (R. Moore)
3rd CANKOURA (C. Lecoeuvre)
4th MANDANABA (M. Barzalona)
5th D’ORES ET DÉJÀ (C. Demuro)
Time : 2’06’’57. Margins : 1 - 1/2 – 1 1/4 – 1 – 1 1/4 – 2,5.
Quotes from the connections
Francis Graffard, trainer of Gezora (1st), Cankoura (3rd), and Mandanaba (4th), Chantilly (Oise)
“Gezora won the Saint-Alary really well, and more importantly, she continued to progress after that victory, so she came into the big day in peak condition. I didn’t really know her limits, so it’s no surprise to see her win. She’s an easy, professional filly. With this win, she gets a Wild Card for the Arc: we’re keeping all options open, especially since we know she loves soft ground. It’s incredibly emotional, especially with my father here today—he’s always supported me, even though he’s not from the racing world at all… He dreamed I would become a Formula 1 driver!”
Peter Brant (White Birch Farm), owner of Gezora (1st)
“Michel Zerolo spotted this filly when she was two and told me about her. She’s from a beautiful Niarchos family and had good performances, so I bought her. I’ve had a lot of success with French fillies, like Sistercharlie, who might have won this race with a bit more luck. Gezora will continue her career in France.”
Christophe Soumillon, jockey of Gezora (1st), Chantilly (Oise)
“What a thrill! At the top of the straight, I was a bit boxed in. From the start, I told Francis [Graffard] that I didn’t want to get stuck behind fillies with no chance. Gezora didn’t jump off very fast. As soon as I had the opportunity, I moved her out. I didn’t want to leave Clément [Lecoeuvre, jockey of Cankoura] hung out wide, so I let him in. At the top of the straight, I could see Cankoura had a lot of horse left, and I managed to get in her slipstream. These are races where you have to be right there—and a bit lucky too.
Tuesday morning, I had bad news with the situation around Audubon Park, and I was lucky that Gezora’s trainer and owner trusted me with the ride. It’s amazing! I knew Gezora had a real chance. I loved her Saint-Alary win. In our job, you can’t give up—you have to get up every morning and work hard. I hope this sets an example for the young riders… I may ride a bit less now, but I’ve got great trainers who believe in me, and when I get the chance to ride top horses in big races, it’s a real treat!”
Michel Zerolo, France representative for White Birch Farm, owner of Gezora (1st), Chantilly (Oise)
“Winning the Diane is very hard. We’ve tried several times. It worked with Stacelita… At two, we really liked Gezora. And she was one of the few good fillies we could buy. It was kind of obvious. There’s no one more sportsmanlike than Peter Brant. It’s very rewarding to work with him. We work in total trust.”
Aidan O’Brien, trainer of Bedtime Story (2nd) and Merrily (unplaced), Ireland
“We’re delighted with Bedtime Story’s performance. She ran a magnificent race. Her improvement is clear. I’ve consistently run her in good races, and she’s now showing her true form. Today was truly a top-class effort. We’re thrilled. This result, over this distance, opens a lot of doors. I’m not sure yet what we’ll do next. We need to see how she comes out of it. As for Merrily, she didn’t stay. We’ll need to shorten her trip.”
Nemone Routh, racing manager at Aiglemont, on Cankoura (3rd) and Mandanaba (4th), Chantilly (Oise)
“Both fillies ran without excuses—they both produced great final stretches. But in the last 100 metres, the others just finished faster. Mickaël Barzalona and Clément Lecoeuvre didn’t feel they weakened—it was more that the others accelerated strongly at the end. We weren’t lucky with the draw, which forced them to make significant early efforts. That’s never easy…”
Rupert Pritchard-Gordon, manager for Al Shaqab Racing, owner of D’Ores et Déjà (5th), Chantilly (Oise)
“We’re really pleased with her performance. We’ll need to rewatch the race, but it seemed she wasn’t entirely comfortable entering the straight. She was a bit far back, then came forward, but got boxed in. She had to be eased before making another run, and she responded well. The top four are probably better than her today. But with a smoother trip, she could have finished closer. She confirmed what we hoped: she’s a filly of this level. She’ll have a nice break now, and we’ll work with Fabrice [Chappet, her trainer] to prepare for the autumn. She likes very soft ground, so we’ll keep that in mind to bring her into the fall fresh and ready.”
The Prix de Diane Longines joins the legend of the Arc Races!
A highlight of the racing calendar, France’s greatest fillies’ race will in 2025 become part of the Arc Races, a new circuit of eight outstanding contests whose winners earn a Wild Card for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. This 15 June at Chantilly, the heroine of the Prix de Diane Longines will thus also secure her place in the World Cup of Thoroughbreds, to be held on Sunday, 5 October at ParisLongchamp. With the Arc Races, France Galop offers a clear, accessible and thrilling narrative thread to follow the greatest champions on their journey towards the Arc. A concept designed to captivate seasoned fans and newcomers alike, and to keep them engaged throughout a season rich in emotion.