Handicappers' Corner: French take centre stage

Chantilly hosted the Prix de Diane on Sunday

It was a quiet week in Britain in terms of quality with everyone looking to Royal Ascot, so it was over to Chantilly where the French-trained fillies had their turn in the limelight, with a potential new star emerging. David Johnson explains.

Treve might not be much of a name for a filly, but it's one we are likely to hear plenty more of as she ran out an easy winner of the Prix de Diane at Chantilly on Sunday, marking herself as the best three-year-old filly in Europe with a four-length victory over Chicquita. 

Rating the race in line with historical standards, Treve has earned a figure of 123p, 3lb and 4lb clear respectively of the next two highest rated fillies, Flotilla and Esoterique, both of whom pulled too hard to get home in the Diane.

Treve became the sixth consecutive unbeaten winner of the Diane, and her future looks bright. Her pedigree is a mix of extremes, by Derby winner Motivator but out of a Trevise, a sprinter best known for beating Six Perfections on her debut. She has already produced Trois Rois, who stays a mile and a half, though he is by Hernando. Treve will be worth trying at further later in the year.

Listed action was the best that could be mustered from the British calendar, the best effort from the weekend put up by Professor in the Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury. He's proved most progressive this season since learning to settle, rated 119 after completing the hat trick by a length and three quarters from Justineo. A step up in to Group races is likely to be next and he can gain further success at six or seven furlongs.

Morawij took the listed Scurry Stakes at Sandown. Just touched off in the Molecomb last year, he showed improved form to record a figure of 115 (backed up by an equivalent timefigure) holding off the slightly-unlucky March by a diminishing neck. March goes up from 90 to 108, and taking a lenient BHA mark with her.

The pick of performances from the older horses came in Musselburgh's valuable Scottish Sprint Cup, Kingsgate Choice following up his win at York and defying a mark of 104 to earn a new Timeform rating of 117.

There were also a couple of performances that could influence what happens at Royal Ascot next week. Firstly three-year-old Baltic Knight defeated his elders in a listed race at York over a mile, improving to a figure of 113. He's not entered next week, but his victory provides further substance to the form of Remote who beat him easily in a handicap at Doncaster last time. Remote could turn out in either the Britannia or Tercentenary Stakes.

Finally, two-year-old filly Reroute was unraced when entries were made for the Queen Mary at the six-day stage, but she'll now head there with only two ahead of her on the Timeform ratings after a really impressive debut at York on Friday. 

Reroute beat the more experienced colt Royal Mezyan by a length and a quarter and recorded a very fast time doing so, 0.42 seconds quicker than that clocked by useful handicapper Above Standard over over the same distance later on the card. If the race doesn't come too soon, she can make an impact.

There will be an extended version of this blog next week detailing the most significant performances from Royal Ascot.