Diamond Necklace maintained her unbeaten record with a commanding victory in the Group One Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, extending her winning streak to six races. The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly, ridden by Ryan Moore, won by two and three-quarter lengths over Friendly Soul, showcasing her class and raising discussions about her potential targets for the remainder of the season.
The Nassau Stakes, run over ten furlongs, saw Diamond Necklace appear more straightforward than in previous outings, including her narrow defeat at the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) in June. The filly asserted herself under clear skies, cruising past the competition in the final stages of the race. This marked her fourth Group One win, with the next steps in her career subject to assessment following this performance.
O’Brien highlighted the options available for Diamond Necklace, noting she had yet to be fully tested beyond the distance of ten furlongs, which is likely her optimum. He suggested possibilities including remaining at the mile-and-a-quarter distance to contest the fillies’ race at Deauville in August, a race at Leopardstown in September, or aiming for a test over longer distances as part of preparations for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Paris Longchamp on October 5.
“The next run will tell us where she is going,” O’Brien said, acknowledging uncertainty about how far the filly might stay. Ryan Moore echoed these sentiments, remarking that while ten furlongs appear ideal for Diamond Necklace, the quality of the horse might allow her to tackle further distances.
Bookmakers have responded by listing Diamond Necklace as a 10-1 third favorite for the Arc, behind last year’s winner Daryz and O’Brien’s leading three-year-old colt Constitution River. Constitution River, who won both the French Derby and the Eclipse Stakes this year, currently seems likely to pursue the International Stakes at York next month, with O’Brien emphasizing that his options remain open.
The Goodwood card also saw a notable performance from Man’s Best Friend, another O’Brien-trained juvenile, who took the Group Two Markel Richmond Stakes just eight days after winning a maiden race at Naas. O’Brien described the colt as immature but promising, suggesting he could excel at races of seven furlongs to a mile in the future.
Additionally, O’Brien’s son Joseph secured a win with Enceladus in the Group Three Gordon Stakes. The day’s events also included a fall involving jockey Billy Loughnane and the horse Savvy Disco, though both emerged unscathed. Loughnane bounced back to secure a win aboard Avalon Queen later in the card.
Overall, the victories signaled a strong showing for the O’Brien stable at Goodwood, with the performances consolidating their reputation and providing promising routes for several horses ahead of the autumn’s major races in Europe.