![\"Aidan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/aidn-1024x682-1.jpg\")
AIDAN O\u2019BRIEN, RYAN MOORE \/ Epsom Downs \/\/ 2022 \/\/\/ Photo by Andrew Redington (Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\nDiamond Necklace For O\u2019Brien\u2019s French Connection<\/p>\n
Ireland\u2019s champion trainer Aidan O\u2019Brien is aiming to nail a French Derby-Oaks double this weekend, with Diamond Necklace his standout in the G1 Prix de Diane to follow-up the Ballydoyle stable\u2019s dominant result in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club two weekends ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Constitution River led home an O\u2019Brien-trained 1-2-3 in the Jockey Club, giving the trainer a third win in France\u2019s Derby and now he is seeking a second French Oaks win, following Joan Of Arc in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His stable\u2019s Jockey Club win was lauded as a tactical masterclass after Montreal set a good pace that set-up Constitution River to close and pass him under Ryan Moore, with Hawk Mountain staying on gamely for second.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a common sight, a Ballydoyle runner leading, even haring off well clear of the field, but O\u2019Brien played down the tactical element.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always straightforward and I think it suits everybody when there\u2019s an even pace,\u201d O\u2019Brien said. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s ever about tactics. All we ever want is an evenly run race and then everybody finds out where they stand afterwards and whether their horse gets the trip or doesn\u2019t get the trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when the pace is like that, obviously, people and horses aren\u2019t on top of each other, really. That\u2019s the only reason ever. And I think everybody kind of knows where they stand when there\u2019s an evenly run race.\u201d<\/p>\n
That approach has helped O\u2019Brien win 100 classics in Ireland and Britain \u2013 the latest being Christmas Day in the Derby at Epsom \u2013 but he has never been as dominant a force in the French classics, in which he has 12 wins. But seven of that dozen have come in the last five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And after the unbeaten Diamond Necklace gave him his first G1 Poule d\u2019Essai de Pouliches win in May, O\u2019Brien is looking to make it three wins in France\u2019s four classics this year alone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Diamond Necklace, since she won the French Guineas, everything has gone well,\u201d O\u2019Brien said, referencing her three-length win on heavy going at Longchamp.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been very happy with her. The plan was always, if everything went well in the Guineas, to come back here. Everything has been very good since her last victory. I think she\u2019s even better on better ground.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diamond Necklace is a daughter of O\u2019Brien\u2019s first French Derby winner, St Mark\u2019s Basilica, and he sees similarities to her sire, who was a star at around 2000m with further wins in the G1 Eclipse Stakes and G1 Irish Champion Stakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always thought a mile and a quarter shouldn\u2019t be a problem to Diamond Necklace,\u201d O\u2019Brien continued. \u201cObviously, we\u2019re going to learn more on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s good, very straightforward. She\u2019s well balanced. She\u2019s a medium-sized filly and usually travels well in her races. She\u2019s very like her sire, St. Mark\u2019s Basilica: when he went up to a mile and a quarter, he improved again and everything she does is very like him, really.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
AIDAN O\u2019BRIEN, RYAN MOORE \/ Epsom Downs \/\/ 2022 \/\/\/ Photo by Andrew Redington (Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The stable had four fillies still in the mix at Tuesday\u2019s forfeit stage, but the trainer said only one is likely to accompany Diamond Necklace in the 2100m race.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be Moments Of Joy, we\u2019re thinking of running,\u201d he said. \u201cShe had a couple of choices: the Epsom Oaks, Ascot for the Ribblesdale, and Chantilly. So we\u2019re thinking at the moment she might go to the Diane.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think there\u2019s more improvement to come from her, and we think she\u2019d like the trip, and we think she\u2019d like the track as well. I think she\u2019d like light and nice ground. I don\u2019t think she\u2019d be mad about soft ground. She\u2019s a very good mover.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Diane also looks set to include the G3 Musidora Stakes second Felicitas, the Pouliches third Green Spirit and the Karl Burke-trained Evolutionist, second in the G1 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, England last time.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s getting stronger, she\u2019s certainly a stronger filly now than she was in May at Newmarket,\u201d Burke said.<\/p>\n
He also expressed \u201c90 percent\u201d confidence in Evolutionist staying the distance, but also a small \u201cregret\u201d that perhaps the filly should be heading to Royal Ascot for the Coronation Stakes at a mile after Shane Foley was \u201cvery taken\u201d with her gallop Tuesday morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll ride her a little bit differently, we won\u2019t ride her as aggressively as we did in the Guineas,\u201d Burke said. \u201cI don\u2019t know how we get Diamond Necklace beat, but you should never be afraid of one horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThis Week In Horse Racing History<\/p>\n
It was on June 8, 1957 that Queen Elizabeth II led in her first classic winner, after the Noel Murless-trained and Lester Piggott-ridden Carrozza won the Oaks at Epsom. Piggott and Murless had won the Derby two days prior with the Sir Victor Sassoon-owned Crepello. Carrozza was the first royal classic winner at Epsom in 48 years, since Edward VII\u2019s colt Minoru won the 1909 Derby. The filly was owned on a lease from the National Stud.<\/p>\n
Steve Cauthen became the youngest jockey to win the U.S. Triple Crown on June 10 1978 when at age 18 he rode Affirmed to victory in the Belmont Stakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On June 11, 1898 Willie Simms became the only African American jockey to win the Preakness Stakes, making him the only one to win all three Triple Crown races, too. And, exactly 21 years later, on June 11, 1919, Sir Barton became the first U.S. Triple Crown winner.<\/p>\n
\nIdol Horse Reads Of The Week<\/p>\n
The standout this week is Michael Cox\u2019s excellent profile of John Size, a fascinating and insightful read about one of horse racing\u2019s greatest living trainers, a man who is always thinking about the horse, but is also perhaps one of the sport\u2019s most misunderstood enigmas.<\/p>\n
![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781173573_418_John-Size-at-Meydan-1024x682.jpg\")
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Michael Cox<\/p>\n
Tap, Tap, Tap: John Size, 25 Years And Still Intrigued By Horses<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Zac Lloyd had his first two wins in Britain last week and will ride at Royal Ascot next week. Adam Pengilly caught up with Australia\u2019s rising star jockey last August and talked about the fine line of confidence, keeping out of the stewards\u2019 room, and his father\u2019s inspirational perseverance.<\/p>\n Adam Pengilly<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve Got To Have Confidence, Otherwise You\u2019ll Get Killed Out There\u201d: Zac Lloyd Rides The Fine Line<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This week\u2019s Tokyo Derby at Oi served as a reminder that it\u2019s 16 months since the \u201cKing of Oi\u201d, the incomparable Fumio Matoba retired from race-riding and almost two years since he last thrilled the Tokyo City Keiba crowd with his \u201cMatoba Dance\u201d. David Morgan\u2019s article from the time of the retirement announcement takes a brief look back at his incredible career.<\/p>\n David Morgan<\/p>\n No More \u2018Matoba Dance\u2019 As Oi\u2019s Iconic Jockey Retires<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And with the news this week that Japan is sending a top contender, Masquerade Ball, to the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, here\u2019s a look back at a feature from last summer, which explores the importance to Ascot, York, Goodwood and Leopardstown racecourses of Japanese and other intercontinental participation in their major races.<\/p>\n David Morgan<\/p>\n Playing The Long Game: Ascot, York, Goodwood and Leopardstown Know The Value In Wooing The Japanese<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Sifflement was a pretty good racehorse in his time, winning five races including the Listed Miyakooji Stakes in 2022. Renowned for his intelligence, the grey can nowadays be seen imitating famous horses and here he is pictured at Tokyo last weekend mimicking the Triple Crown winner Contrail. <\/p>\n Date Photographer Location For more from @JunKeiba3F CLOSE<\/a><\/p>\n Sifflement was a pretty good racehorse in his time, winning five races including the Listed Miyakooji Stakes in 2022. Renowned for his intelligence, the grey can nowadays be seen imitating famous horses and here he is pictured at Tokyo last weekend mimicking the Triple Crown winner Contrail. <\/p>\n
Three Listed races for three-year-olds at Longchamp last Sunday are all worth another look, but from that trio of winners, we\u2019ll put our focus on the homebred Wertheimer family colt Overnight who won the Prix Ridgway over 2000m by three lengths, the same race Daryz won last year en route to Prix de l\u2019Arc de Triomphe glory.\u00a0<\/p>\n This was Overnight\u2019s second win, having been beaten into second place on debut back in March, and he is a racehorse on an eye-catching upward trajectory. The white-faced chestnut with a long white stocking on his off-fore leg has been the odds-on favourite each time he has raced, suggesting he is held in good regard at home. This time Overnight travelled smartly, shifted through the gears a little immaturely, but once he found his long stride he drew three lengths clear for a win that suggested he might well have the potential to continue climbing into the high grades.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Andre Fabre-trained colt traces back to the G1 Prix de l\u2019Arc de Triomphe winner Gold River, his fourth dam, and despite being by Night Of Thunder \u2013 a stallion yet to produce a top-class 2400m runner \u2013 he races like he may stay farther and holds entries in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and the Prix de l\u2019Arc de Triomphe at a mile and a half, though he is expected to go next to Saint-Cloud for the G2 Prix Eugene Adam on 28 June.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Fabre has long been a master of bringing along a three-year-old to peak when the time is right, whether that be in the spring and early summer classics or later in the year when they have reached the required maturity. His Juddmonte home-bred filly Dispatches also looked better than the grade when a tidy winner of the 2000m Prix Melisande, making it three wins from four starts.<\/p>\n And the third of the Listed winners to keep an eye on is Godolphin\u2019s Fortuna Diamond \u2013 another by Night Of Thunder \u2013 who has won all three starts since she switched, unraced, from Charlie Appleby to Henri-Alex Pantall\u2019s stable. But Overnight is the standout.<\/p>\n Look at that stride! \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n Daryz took the Prix Ridgway before going onto bigger and better things last year and Overnight follows in his footsteps with an impressive display at ParisLongchamp\u2026 \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 pic.twitter.com\/XazBDZnUMp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Stradbroke & Q22<\/strong> James McDonald is set to ride the Chris Waller-trained mare Fangirl in the 1400m G1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday, as long as the track is not too wet. The race could also feature Melbourne Cup-winning rider Jamie Melham who has opted to side with Sixties, currently the first emergency and in need of one horse to come out in order to get a run. The race is also set to feature local hero Rothfire, as well as Private Eye and the recent Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Headley Grange. Ciaron Maher took Jimmysstar out but the trainer has Warnie and Another Wil in contention. The day also features the G2 Q22 over 2200m and the G1 JJ Atkins Stakes over a mile for two-year-olds.<\/p>\n Royal Ascot<\/strong> The five-day Royal Ascot meeting features a wealth of high-class racing, the highlights being the G1 Prince Of Wales\u2019s Stakes in which last year\u2019s winner Ombudsman could clash with the Arc winner Daryz, the G1 Queen Anne Stakes, G1 Gold Cup, G1 St James\u2019s Palace Stakes, G1 Coronation Stakes, G1 King Charles III Stakes, G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and G1 Commonwealth Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n Irish Derby Day\u00a0<\/strong> The Irish Derby was first run in 1866 and it is not uncommon to see the Derby winner at Epsom head to Ireland to attempt the Derby double, so this year the Aidan O\u2019Brien-trained Christmas Day could attempt the double. Orby in 1907 was the first to achieve that feat and last year saw Lambourn become the latest. O\u2019Brien has won the Irish Derby an incredible 17 times, the first being Desert King in 1997.<\/p>\n Durban July Day<\/strong> The Durban July is South Africa\u2019s pinnacle mid-year contest but longtime leading fancies See It Again and Eight On Eighteen were scratched this week after disappointing runs in last weekend\u2019s G1 Gold Challenge. That duo\u2019s trainer Justin Snaith has six others still in the list, though, including Gold Challenge runner-up Legal Counsel and the G1 Cape Derby winner Wish List who completed a four-timer when she won the G2 Woolavington 2000 last time.<\/p>\n Eclipse Stakes Day<\/strong> The Eclipse Stakes gives the British and Irish middle-distance three-year-olds their first big opportunity to take on their elders. The 10-furlong contest has been won by some of the sport\u2019s great champions. Last year\u2019s second Ombudsman might face the recent G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Constitution River, though the latter\u2019s connections are also considering alternative options.<\/p>\n Adam Pengilly<\/p>\n Hugh Bowman on Winx, Pressure, and Purpose: \u201cNothing Keeps You Motivated Like a Good Horse\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Jockey](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ZacLloydFeature-1024x683.jpg\")
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\nRacing Photo Of The Week<\/p>\n
7 June, 2026<\/p>\n
Photo by @JunKeiba3F<\/p>\n
Tokyo Racecourse<\/p>\n
Follow on X<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pic-of-the-week-like-contrail.jpeg\"\/)
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\nGlobal Blackbook<\/p>\n\n
\nWorld Horse Racing Calendar: What\u2019s Coming Up<\/p>\n
Eagle Farm, Australia, June 13<\/p>\n
Ascot, England, June 16-20<\/p>\n
Curragh, Ireland, June 28<\/p>\n
Greyville, South Africa, July 4<\/p>\n
Sandown, England, July 4<\/p>\n![\"Jockey](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BowmanIllustration-1024x683.jpg\")
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