Amusingly displayed a remarkable turn of elegance as she outclassed the male competitors to capture the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at Longchamp in Paris. The victory was a testament to the astute decision-making of trainer Francis‑Henri Graffard, who made the bold call to move his Juddmonte‑owned filly from the Prix Marcel Boussac—where she had been campaigned against her own sex—into a mixed‑sex sprint.
While many observers were initially skeptical, the result left no doubt that the gamble was justified. Colin Keane, aboard Am Amusingly, settled his mount toward the rear of the field in the early stages, allowing her to settle comfortably behind the odds‑on favourite, Folsom Blues.
Both horses travelled smoothly and appeared to be in good rhythm as the race unfolded. However, when the finish line loomed, Joseph O'Brien’s National Stakes winner was unable to match the late acceleration that Amusingly produced.
The daughter of the sprinter No Nay Never surged forward with a powerful, sustained burst, pulling away from the field and crossing the line in emphatic fashion. After the race, Graffard expressed his satisfaction: "She beat the filly that finished second in the Marcel Boussac (Data) very easily, so I was hoping I didn't make a mistake." He went on to highlight the filly's speed, noting that he had discussed with Juddmonte racing manager Barry Mahon the possibility of targeting the Commonwealth Cup next season rather than a classic mile race.
"She shows a lot of speed, so I told Barry she's more of a Commonwealth Cup type than a Guineas type for next year," Graffard said. He also admitted that plans for a potential Breeders' Cup appearance were still under consideration and that the immediate priority was to enjoy the victory and give the filly a proper winter break. "Today is a big win, so I just want to enjoy that and winter well. We have a lovely fillet for next year, and what she has done today is wonderful." The Jean‑Luc Lagardère is contested over seven furlongs, a full furlong shorter than the Marcel Boussac.
Keane explained the rationale behind the distance choice: "I think the decision to run in this race rather than the Boussac was a combination of factors. She seemed to struggle to finish the final half‑furlong in the mile race, so dropping back to seven made sense. She's a filly with a lot of class and a lot of pace; she used up a lot of energy before being run out of it last time, so we thought a shorter trip would suit her better, even if it meant facing the colts." Keane praised Amusingly's temperament on the day, noting that she was more relaxed, less gassy, and executed her plan perfectly in the first half of the race. "She relaxed a lot better today, she wasn't as fresh and gassy and did everything right in the first half of the race.
When she hit that part we thought she'd run a good race and she showed how well she can quicken," he said. He added that the filly's future over a mile remains open: "Time will tell if she's a Guineas filly; she does have a lot of pace but I don't see why she won't get a mile." In the same meeting, Joseph O'Brien also celebrated a second Group One victory when Green Empress edged out Data to win the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac. Green Empress, who has never finished outside the top two in her career, paid tribute to the legendary Sun Goddess, the only filly to have beaten her on three occasions.
Riding confidently, Christophe Soumillon took the lead with half a furlong to go and appeared set for an easy win until Data, trained by Christopher Head, rallied strongly in the closing stages. O'Brien reflected on the achievement: "It's really special for us to have a Group One winner on this day. She's only ever been beaten by Sun Goddess all year, and she has a superb pedigree—by Saxon Warrior out of a Sea The Stars mare. We see her as a miler who might stretch out to ten furlongs eventually." O'Brien also discussed the possibility of a transatlantic campaign, saying, "We'll see how she comes out of today and talk with the owners about a Breeders' Cup run or waiting until next year." The day marked yet another Group One triumph for O'Brien, who praised the support of his owners and the importance of delivering performances at major meetings: "We're very lucky to have the support of great people and a wide variety of owners.
For us it's about performing and executing at big meetings. It's fantastic to have a big winner on Arc day." Meanwhile, 20‑year‑old Jack Nicholls added his name to the family legacy by winning his first Group One aboard the supplemented Miss Yechance in the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines. The grandson of David "Dandy" Nicholls—who famously won the same race in 2002 on Continent—and son of former jockey‑turned‑trainer Adrian Nicholls, Jack seized his opportunity in his debut top‑level ride.
He was paired with Ryan Moore on Mission Central in the final furlong but timed his run perfectly, guiding Miss Yechance to the line ahead of Shiri, who took second, and Mission Central in third. Nicholls described the experience as indescribable: "I've never had a feeling like that, there are no words to describe it. I can't take much credit; she does everything herself and I'm just the lucky lad who gets to sit on top of her. I try to keep her happy and she does the rest for me.
I didn't think I'd get a chance in a Group One and I'll be forever grateful to the owners and Karl for trusting me." He also reflected on the deep family connection to sprint racing: "The name Nicholls is known for sprinters. My granddad was probably one of the best sprint trainers ever, and my dad won two Group Ones, so it would be odd if I wasn't riding in sprint races. Continent was a very special horse to the family; we had him in the field in retirement. I would have taken any Group One, but if I could pick one it would have been the Abbaye.
My dad is the best dad in the world. He told me the race would be the fastest 55 seconds of my life and the weirdest as well." The victory was also a morale boost for the Burke yard, which had suffered the loss of stable star Fallen Angel the previous Saturday. Nicholls noted, "It's great for the yard; obviously they had a bad day yesterday with Fallen Angel. She might have been looking down and helped us in that last 50 yards.
It's very special." Overall, the meeting showcased the depth of talent across trainers, jockeys, and owners, with Amusingly's triumph, Green Empress's resilience, and Jack Nicholls' breakthrough all underscoring the excitement and unpredictability that make top‑level flat racing such a compelling sport.