Diamond Necklace suffered her first loss when Aventure reminded everyone of her elite abilities in the Sumbe Prix Jean et Louis Romanet at Deauville. The filly, a product of Aidan O'Brien and a daughter of St Mark's Basilica, had arrived in France with lofty expectations after a flawless six‑race campaign that included victories in the Prix Marcel Boussac, the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane.
Those wins had established her as a near‑unbeatable force, but she met a more seasoned opponent in Aventure, who is trained by Christophe Ferland. Aventure built on her previous Group One triumph in the Prix Vermeille and proved that experience could outweigh raw talent on the day. The race unfolded with Aventure taking the lead early and never looking back, while Diamond Necklace tried to rally but could not find a clear answer to the older mare's tactical speed.
In third place, the Charlie Johnston‑trained Timeforshowcasing, ridden by Jack Mitchell, delivered a strong performance, rounding out a tightly contested finish. Pierre‑Yves Bureau, the racing manager for the Wertheimer brothers, expressed his satisfaction, noting that the filly had already shown her class when she captured the Prix Corrida earlier in the season.
He admitted that the decision to contest the Grand Prix de Saint‑Cloud over a mile and a half had been a misstep, given the strength of the field that included Diamond Necklace. "What our mare did is just wonderful; she is such a champion," he said. He added that while they would eventually consider her as a broodmare, they intend to enjoy her racing career for as long as possible.
Aventure's victory over O'Brien's star turned her into a 20/1 outsider for the 2024 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, according to Paddy Power odds. However, the five‑year‑old will not attempt a third run at Europe's richest middle‑distance race. Instead, her connections have decided to keep her at a distance of ten furlongs, targeting the Prix de l'Opera on Arc day, with a possible trip to Keeneland later in the season.
Bureau explained the strategic shift: "It's quite unusual, but this filly is getting more speed with age and ten furlongs is her perfect trip now. She has been really well prepared for this race. The plan is to run her in the Prix de l'Opera and then, if everything goes well, we might take her to the Breeders' Cup for the Filly & Mare Turf.
We'll take it step‑by‑step, one race at a time." In other news, Senorita Bonita displayed a devastating turn of foot to claim the Sumbe Prix Morny. The 900,000‑guineas filly, purchased at the April Craven Breeze‑Up sale by Simon and Ed Crisford, arrived on the Normandy coast eager to build on her recent win in Newmarket's Duchess of Cambridge Stakes. That victory had been boosted by a strong performance in the Lowther Stakes earlier in the week.
Ridden by Oisin Murphy, Senorita Bonita was held towards the rear as Clive Cox's Royal Ascot winner Orthodox set the early pace. The filly, a daughter of Starspangledbanner, began to make up ground on Aidan O'Brien's front‑running Carry The Flag in the final third of the race.
When Murphy asked for acceleration, the response was immediate: Senorita Bonita not only erased the deficit but surged ahead of the pace‑setter to secure a decisive win. Crisford praised the fillet's finishing kick: "She showed a great turn of foot.
They set some very good fractions up front, but she finished super well – she galloped out strongly. She was a little slow out of the gates and behind the bridle early, but the race set up for closers and she was the best of them. At halfway I briefly thought we might have a mountain to climb, but her turn of foot at the furlong pole showed she would come home strong." This victory marked the second Group One win for the father‑and‑son training team after Vandeek's success in 2023, and it continued the strong record of fillies in the Sumbe Prix Morny, following Venetian Sun's triumph for Karl Burke a year earlier. Looking ahead, the Victorious Racing‑owned Senorita Bonita will aim for further top‑level honors in Newmarket's Cheveley Park Stakes, where she is priced at 5/2 by bookmakers.
The race could see a rematch with Libertango, the Lowther Stakes winner who earlier boosted Senorita Bonita's confidence, as well as a challenge from recent York victor Sun Goddess. Crisford summed up the filly's season: "All roads lead to the Cheveley Park now at the end of September, and that was a fantastic performance. It was a deep renewal and a really pleasing effort; she's looked impressive throughout. Any Group One win is fantastic, and we are all delighted.
It's a great testament to the staff back at home and everyone involved, and it's wonderful to win for Shaikh Nasser (bin Hamed Al Khalifa) and Shaikh Khalid (bin Hamed Al Khalifa)."