Aventure hands Diamond Necklace first defeat in Sumbe Prix Jean et Louis Romanet
Deauville served up two notable Group One performances as Aventure overturned the previously unbeaten Diamond Necklace in the Sumbe Prix Jean et Louis Romanet, while Senorita Bonita electrified the line to take the Prix Morny.
Diamond Necklace had arrived in Normandy with an imposing record, unbeaten through six starts that included the Prix Marcel Boussac, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane. In the Romanet she met an older, battle-hardened rival in Aventure, who had earlier provided Christophe Ferland with top-level success and added this latest Group One to a CV that also contains last year’s Prix Vermeille.
In a race that tested a number of the leading fillies over the ten-furlong trip, Aventure produced the stronger finish to deny Diamond Necklace and underline her continued effectiveness at the trip. Charlie Johnston’s Timeforshowcasing ran on for a close third, producing a noteworthy performance for connections and the jockey booked to ride her.
Connections of Aventure signalled plans to keep the five-year-old at around a mile and a quarter for the autumn. The immediate target is the Prix de l’Opéra on Arc weekend, with the possibility of a trip to the Breeders’ Cup later in the season should the programme unfold as hoped. That will keep Aventure in the middle-distance ranks rather than pressing on to another attempt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Implications for British and Irish middle-distance form
The result has consequences for how the older fillies and mares will be plotted into the autumn programme. Diamond Necklace’s defeat is the first reverse of her career and will prompt a recalibration of her campaign and targets. Aventure’s performance confirms her status among the most reliable middle-distance mares in training and keeps open high-profile options on Arc weekend and beyond.
Senorita Bonita bursts late to secure Prix Morny
The day’s sprint highlight belonged to Senorita Bonita, who produced a devastating late run to land the Sumbe Prix Morny. A high-profile purchase from the Craven Breeze-Up, she reinforced the promise she had shown when successful in Newmarket’s Duchess of Cambridge Stakes.
Held up towards the rear, Senorita Bonita was delivered with a powerful drive in the closing stages that saw her rapidly overhaul the long-time leader and win decisively. The performance continued the fine recent record for fillies in the Morny and represented a Group One success for the Crisford training partnership.
Plans from connections point towards a return to Newmarket in the Cheveley Park Stakes later in September, where she could meet some of the division’s other leading juveniles. Her late acceleration on Deauville’s straight will be a key pointer for judges assessing the Cheveley Park and other top juvenile sprints through the autumn.
Festival connections and Royal Ascot context
- Several runners with recent Royal Ascot connections were engaged at Deauville, reinforcing the international cross-over between Britain’s festival circuit and the major French meetings.
- Orthodox, a Royal Ascot winner earlier in the season, featured in the Morny field, emphasising the way domestic festival form feeds into the continental Group races.
- For racegoers and festival followers, the weekend’s outcomes provide fresh evidence about the strength and depth of the juvenile and middle-distance divisions as the season heads towards the late-summer and autumn showpieces.
Both Group One results at Deauville will be absorbed into future entries and handicapping considerations for Britain and Ireland’s remaining big events. Aventure’s reassertion at ten furlongs and Senorita Bonita’s closing turn of speed add distinct storylines to watch as the campaign moves on to Arc weekend and the autumn festivals, including potential headline clashes at Newmarket and across the Atlantic at Keeneland and the Breeders’ Cup.
