Caroline’s & Marie-Francoise’s Sunday Selections for 14th June 2026

Caroline’s Sunday Selections from Cork & Marie-Francoise’s Chantilly Picks

Cork

Mallow Handicap (Premier Handicap) 2.37
Fort Vega
I’m going to take my chances with Sheila Lavery’s Fort Vega for this Mallow Handicap, who won this last year from Heavenly Power. This Lope De Vega gelding is 2lbs higher than that last win, but his last run at The Curragh in another Premier Handicap tells me there could be more to come with the extra furlong. Headmaster, reopposing here, beat Fort Vega that last day, under a beautifully timed ride from Dylan Browne McMonagle, very much the man of the moment after his win in the Epsom Oaks, will be making a race of it, but my instinct tells me Fort Vega might be the one. Stephen Thorne has Sir Les Patterson with Jack Kearney’s 3lb claim useful, and also stablemate Gleneagle Bay, who is on a bit of a recovery mission after a poor run here the last day. Andrew Slattery’s Bint Majestic Roi is also on my list, but I do fancy Fort Vega to win again.

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Midsummer Sprint Stakes (Listed) 3.38
Oh Cecelia
Well, looking at Oh Cecelia’s run the last day at Naas, I am finding her easy to back for this Sprint Stakes. Ken Condon’s Starspangledbanner filly was kept to the Stand side rail there by Billy Lee, and although she couldn’t quite reach Havana Anna in that Goffs Lacken Stakes, it wouldn’t take much more to be winning this with that level of performance, and being an open-aged race, she does get bundles of weight from the field. I would be thinking that the negative is the draw in Stall 1, as there is a definite advantage to a high draw over 5 furlongs on the Mallow, but I’ll take my chance on Oh Cecelia, with Gazelle D’or to make a race of it.

Darley Munster Oaks Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies & Mares) 4.48
Nyra (nap)
I am thinking that this Munster Oaks can go to Joseph O’Brien’s Nyra, with the super Dylan Browne McMonagle in charge for more Oaks glory. She must come on for her fourth in the Orby Stakes the last day, where my choice Purview was oh so impressive, but I did think that was a field of quality for that Listed contest, and after just the five starts is still totally unexposed. Last August, she was third in the Group One German Oaks at Dusseldorf, so the Owning Hill yard has a very good filly here. There’s not been too much space in the betting this week between Nyra and the three year old filly Sparan Nua, who showed plenty of toe when scoring by over 4 lengths at Gowran Park the last day, while I do think Donnacha O’Brien’s Eretria has a big win in her somewhere. Yes, Nyra is the one for me, and maybe Eretria can run her close if seeing out the trip.

Chantilly

Prix de Diane Longines (Group 1) (Fillies) 3.05
Diamond Necklace
Oolala!! What a race this is to be, the Prix de Diane! And I am very very happy to see Diamond Necklace win this Group One, because I think she is one of the very best fillies in her Classic year non? and with the best of the luck in the draw, in 3, Ryan Moore must be liking his chance to win on her again. Diamond Necklace was so very good in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp last month, I must know that she is going to be the big favourite, but I can also like the chance of Karl Burke’s Evolutionist for this 2,000 metre race. Only True Love was too strong for Evolutionist in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, but she had much running in her at the finishing post, so maybe this distance will suit her. Oui, a very good race to enjoy, but it is hard to look past Diamond Necklace who runs so well here in France.

Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines (Group 3) 5.03
Elastic
Oh yes, this is going to be a very good race, the Prix Bertrand du Breuil, even if it is just the four of them. And it will be hard to see how Sahlan will not be the big favourite for this Group 3 race, as Francis-Henri Graffard’s colt is usually seen at the top level non? including the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar, and this season started with the Lockinge at Newbury. Maybe Newbury did not suit Sahlan, as there was no improving his position when Mickael Barzalona made the run, so I can have my doubts over his form this season. D’accord, I will be on Christophe Ferland’s Elastic for this Prix Bertrand, with Maxime Guyon now at his very very best, and maybe Owen Burrows Remmooz can be also involved?

Prix du Lys Longines (Group 3) 5.37
Rumoriste (nb)
Oui, it has to be Rumoriste to be winning this Prix du Lys, ahead of Andre Fabre’s Space Waltz. Again, it is just the four runners, which must make this the race of the tactics, but I did very much like the way Rumoriste always kept his position in the front of the pack in the Prix de l’Avre at Longchamp, with Maxime Guyon knowing he still had kept something in his reserves, so could keep always Bright Light behind. This is a new distance for Space Waltz, this 2,400 metres, so I think that Maxime Guyon will be on that same tactic, to control the pace from the front, but wait for Space Waltz to go, and then keep his position on Rumoriste non?