Irish raiders could face uphill task in star-studded French Oaks

Irish-trained horses have won the French Oaks twice in the last three years although adding to that could prove an uphill task for any raiders on this Sunday’s €1 million Prix De Diane.

The star French filly Blue Rose Cen is among 18 left in the 10½-furlong highlight at Chantilly after Monday’s acceptance stage.

Also featuring in the list of potential starters though is Epsom Oaks heroine Soul Sister and her stable companion from the John and Thady Gosden yard, Running Lion.

The latter had to be withdrawn at the start in Epsom after lashing out in the starting gates but will get another classic chance under jockey Oisín Murphy this weekend.

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The Gosden team won the Diane a year ago with Nashwa who scored just a couple of weeks after being placed in the Oaks at Epsom.

Prior to that, Aidan O’Brien landed the final piece in his French classic CV with Joan Of Arc and that came a year after O’Brien’s son Donnacha scored a first classic victory as a trainer with Fancy Blue.

It closed a long gap to the previous Irish-trained winner of the Chantilly classic, Sweet Mimosa in 1970.

This time O’Brien snr has the option of running Never Ending Story, fifth to Blue Rose Cen in last month’s French 1000 Guineas. His son Joseph has left in Caroline Street, winner of the Blue Wind at Naas last time.

Supplementary entries into the Diane are possible on Wednesday.

In different Oaks news, last year’s winner Rosscarbery is among 16 entries left in this Friday’s Darley Munster version at Cork after the latest acceptance stage.

Paddy Twomey’s mare is joined by her stable companion Final Gesture who made a winning debut in Ireland when a five-length winner of the Vintage Tipple Stakes at Gowran over a month ago.

Seven of the 16 are three-year-olds and they include Azazat who briefly was in Epsom calculations after an impressive maiden success at Leopardstown last month.

Azazat’s trainer Dermot Weld last won the Munster Oaks in 2012 with Sapphire. The daughter of Camelot has an alternative option at Royal Ascot next week where she is as low as 6-1 for the Ribblesdale Stakes.

Domestic action

Separately, Willie Mullins sends three runners to Sligo on Tuesday although there’s no doubt which one of them will attract most attention.

Aurora Vega is the latest product of six-time Cheltenham festival heroine Quevega to make the tracks and makes her debut in the concluding mares’ bumper.

Owned and bred by the Hammer & Trowel syndicate that raced her dam, the full sister to Grade One star Facile Vega has a lot to live up to but doesn’t look faced with particularly tough opposition.

Mullins’s team could hardly be in better form and they will also be fancied to score with the Michael O’Sullivan-ridden Chrisco in an earlier hurdle.

Reserve Judgement tries to follow up a recent Down Royal victory in a three-mile handicap hurdle and can get the better of Friday’s Clonmel chase winner Whatsyourstatus.