Rayif and Diamond Necklace Take French Guineas at Longchamp

Laura King • May 11, 2026

Rayif and Diamond Necklace took the headlines at ParisLongchamp, giving Francis Graffard and Aidan O’Brien a French Classic apiece.

Also in this week’s WHR Weekly:
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Rodeo Drive wins the NHK Mile
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Desert Lightning takes the Goodwood at Morphettville
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง Aidan O’Brien dominates the Chester trials ahead of Epsom

Attention now turns to a strong international weekend, with the Lockinge at Newbury in the UK, the Preakness in the US, the Doomben 10000 in Australia and the Victoria Mile in Japan.

What’s Happened


๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ


Desert Lightning is now a G1 winner in New Zealand and Australia after getting home first in a thrilling finish to the G1 Goodwood at Morphettville on Saturday. Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s six-year-old beat favourite Extragalactic by a nose, in the hands of Luke Nolen.


On the Gold Coast, popular multiple G1 winner Pride of Jenni got back to winning ways with a three-quarter length win over Birdman in the G2 Hollindale Stakes.


๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท


Two of European racing’s superpowers struck in Classics at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, starting when Francis Graffard took the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains – French 2000 Guineas – with Rayif.


The lightly raced Aga Khan-owned colt sat up with the pace under Mickael Barzalona and won by a length from Komorebi.


Half an hour later, Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore won the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches - French 1000 Guineas - with favourite Diamond Necklace, who beat the slow starting The Last Dance by three lengths. Diamond Necklace is now unbeaten in four and may return to France for the Prix de Diane on June 14th.


Graffard and Barzalona earlier collected a G3 win when Rayevka returned to the winner’s enclosure in the G3 Prix Saint-Georges, beating Afjan by just under two lengths.


Yann Barberot also picked up a big win, his Lapotheose taking the G2 Prix Saint-Alary – a Prix de Diane trial- by a length in the hands of Alexis Pouchin.


๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช


History-making jockey Sibylle Vogt picked up another big win when Alleno romped home by four and three-quarter lengths in the G3 Sauren Dachfonds Preis at Cologne on Friday. It was the second straight win for the Marcel Weiss trainee in the 2400metre contest.


Vogt and Weiss celebrated another G2 win on Sunday, teaming up with Lordano who justified favouritism in the Oleander-Rennen at Hoppegarten.


๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช Ireland ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช


Joseph O’Brien caused a minor surprise at Leopardstown on Sunday when his James J Braddock beat his father’s Pierre Bonard by a short head in the G3 Derby Trial. The son of Zarak was being aimed at Royal Ascot, but O’Brien will now shift focus to the English or Irish Derby.


Billy Lee and Paddy Twomey also had reason to celebrate, their City Of Memphis taking the G3 Mutamakina Stakes.


๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต


Rodeo Drive is something of a 1600metre specialist and proved it again with victory in the G1 NHK Mile at Tokyo on Sunday. The Tetsuhide Tsuji-trained colt emerged from the back of the field under Damian Lane to win by a nose from Ask Ikigomi.


Also at Tokyo, Saturday’s G3 Epsom Cup went to Trovatore, for trainer Yuichi Shikato and jockey Christophe Lemaire.


There was a close finish to the feature at Kyoto, when Congestus beat favourite Bereshit by a neck in the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai.


๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง UK ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง


Benvenuto Cellini is favourite for the G1 Derby at Epsom on June 6th after his demolition job in the G3 Chester Vase on Wednesday. It was a twelfth win in the race for trainer Aidan O’Brien, who won this race last year with subsequent Derby hero Lambourn.


O’Brien and Ryan Moore also won the Listed Cheshire Oaks, their Amelia Earhart beating hitherto Oaks favourite I’m The One by two lengths.


On Thursday, 2025 G1 Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel gave them another big win, taking the G3 Ormonde Stakes and setting himself up for a defence of his title at Epsom next month.


O’Brien and Moore went onto take a clean sweep of the festival’s Pattern races, completed when English and Irish Derby winner Lambourn held off Bay City Roller in the G2 Huxley Stakes on Friday.


The winning spree extended to Lingfield on Saturday when O’Brien and Moore took the Listed Oaks Trial with Cameo, but William Haggas got in on the act in the Derby Trial, his Maltese Cross winning by a neck under Tom Marquand.


On the same card, William Buick combined with trainer William Knight for victory with Royal Velvet in the G3 Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes.


๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ USA ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ


The main local Belmont Stakes prep took place at Belmont at Aqueduct on Saturday, but trainer Chad Brown might not run G3 Peter Pan Stakes winner Growth Equity in the Classic. Flavien Prat guided the colt to a two-length victory but Brown is concerned about the extra furlong of the Belmont – staged again at Saratoga - on June 6th.


Also at Aqueduct, the G2 Ruffian Stakes went to Irish Maxima, trained by John Servis and ridden by Frankie Pennington, while the David Jacobson-trained Durante took the G3 John A Nerud Stakes.


What’s Happening


๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ


The G1 Doomben 10000 is the feature at the racecourse of the same name in Brisbane. Recent winners include Bella Nipotina and Giga Kick.


๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan ๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต


The G1 Victoria Mile is the feature at Tokyo on Sunday. The 1600metre fillies and mares’ contest was won in 2025 by Ascoli Piceno and Christophe Lemaire. The G3 Niigata Daishoten takes place at Niigata Daishoten on Saturday.


๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง UK ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง


The three-day Dante Festival takes place at York, with Derby aspirants heading to the Dante itself on Thursday. On Wednesday, 2025 winner Sea The Fire is among the entries for the G2 Middleton Stakes, while the G2 Yorkshire Cup is Friday’s feature.


๏ปฟRecent G3 winner Damysus is disputing market favouritism with G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Notable Speech for the G1 Lockinge at Newbury on Saturday – the track’s only top-level flat race.


๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ USA ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ


There’s no Derby winner in the Preakess this year but the second leg of the US Triple Crown – run this year at Laurel due to Pimlico’s redevelopment – will still have a G1 winner in the field thanks to Champagne Stakes hero Napoleon Solo who takes his chance for trainer Chad Summers.


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