QATAR PRIX MARCEL BOUSSAC – CRITÉRIUM DES POULICHES Bred in Normandy by Haras des Monceaux and Skymarc Farm, Diamond Necklace becomes Europe’s top filly!

In August 2024, the young Diamond Necklace (St Mark’s Basilica) was one of the stars of the Arqana yearling sales in Deauville, fetching €1.7 million — quite a sum! But it’s no surprise, given that her dam Prudenzia (Dansili) had already produced several champions, including Magic Wand (Galileo), bought by the Irish partners of Coolmore — the same owners as Diamond Necklace.

On Sunday, in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Fillies’ Criterium, the Irish filly started as favourite, just ahead of the leading French contender, the Wertheimer & Frère-owned Green Spirit (Kingman). The duel between the two fillies duly took place.

Green Spirit, quickest from the gates, went straight to the front before handing the lead to Venosa (Gun Runner). Diamond Necklace settled in behind, travelling smoothly in third position. Turning for home, Green Spirit was ideally placed along the rail, able to use it as support for her effort. As soon as the open-stretch appeared, she dived right to keep that line. Meanwhile, Diamond Necklace had to go around several rivals and, racing four wide down the centre of the track, produced a long, sustained run to take command a hundred metres from the post. Green Spirit finished a clear second. Narissa (Siyouni), still last entering the straight, finished with a terrific burst to snatch third place from Esna (Starman).

Trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, Diamond Necklace was bred in Normandy by Haras des Monceaux (in partnership with Skymarc Farm, the operation of the late Lady O’Reilly). Under the management of Henri Bozo, Monceaux consistently produces top-class horses highly sought after at the August and October auctions in Deauville.

Henri Bozo was deeply moved after the race and explained how the filly was conceived:

“It was quite bold to send a mare of that calibre to a young stallion just starting his career. But it paid off. We like to send older mares to younger stallions. I try to avoid pairing older mares with older stallions. The bloodline of St Mark’s Basilica — his power, depth and turn of foot — made us want to try it. Together with Patricia Boutin, who managed Lady O’Reilly’s interests, we decided to send her to that stallion. The information I got from Coolmore was that they thought Diamond Necklace would be better at three than at two. So this is great. It’s a family that usually peaks in midsummer of their three-year-old season, and they tend to prefer good ground. It’s not a family of big-framed horses — and she herself isn’t very big. We sold her sister this year at Deauville; she might have been a bit taller.”

The official result

QATAR PRIX MARCEL BOUSSAC – CRITÉRIUM DES POULICHES

1st DIAMOND NECKLACE (Christophe Soumillon)

2nd GREEN SPIRIT (Maxime Guyon)

3rd NARISSA (Mickaël Barzalona)

Time: 1’41’’31 – Margins: 1 – 1¼ – Nose

Quotes from connections 

Aidan O’Brien, trainer of Diamond Necklace (1st), Ireland

“We’re absolutely delighted with her, and the fact she’s by St Mark’s Basilica makes it even more special. Over the past two months, his progeny have been improving week after week. Remember, he didn’t win his first Group race until the Dewhurst Stakes on October 10, and we all know what he did at three. He’s clearly passing on his own profile — they’re not early types. I was a bit concerned that Diamond Necklace might still be a baby for this race, and I spoke to Christophe Soumillon about it. He advised running her and then giving her a quiet winter. She’s a filly who could aim for the 1,000 Guineas and then the Oaks, as I believe she’ll stay 2,400 metres. She’s one of our best two-year-olds. The Moyglare Stud winner, Precise, is also very good. We try to space them out so they can each win their own Group 1!”

Christopher Head, trainer of Green Spirit (2nd), Chantilly (France)

“We were beaten by a very good filly, bred at Monceaux, which is great news for French breeding. I’m delighted with her performance, and we’ll look forward to seeing her again next year. She’ll come back stronger in 2026 and will be stepped up to 2,000 metres, but she’ll go through the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches first over 1,600 metres. She has the potential to be a top-class three-year-old.”

Nemone Routh, Racing Manager for the Aga Khan Studs, owners of Narissa (3rd), Chantilly (France)

“They didn’t go very fast, and Narissa was keen early on. Mickaël settled her in behind to help her relax, and her finishing run was excellent. She’s still a bit immature but has lots of potential. We’re really happy she managed to grab third rather than fourth. She recovered very well from her last run. She’s a pretty filly, though quite light-framed; we’re not yet sure whether she’ll run again this year — we’ll discuss it with Francis.”

QREC, the official partner of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

The QREC was established in the early 1960s before achieving official recognition in 1975. It is mandated with representing, promoting and advancing equine and equestrian initiatives, from grassroots programmes to the international arena. Focused on equestrian sport and horse welfare, the QREC is dedicated to promoting Qatar as a world class hub for horse racing and a leader in the Pure Arabian breed.

The QREC works in collaboration with local bodies dedicated to achieving excellence in planning, regulation and the development of Qatar’s racing industry to reflect the world's best practices. The QREC has been partner of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe since 2008, and from 2022, it also became the title partner of the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, one of the most important races for the selection of the breed.

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