Prix de Diane day at Chantilly is one of the great days in the French sporting calendar, full of fun and fashion, vast crowds and joyous music. But it didn’t feel much like that last Sunday.
With daily Covid cases now below 3,000 in France, a new Government limit of 5,000 spectators was allowed on the track, when normally 35,000 could be expected.
Strict sanitation rules applied. An obligatory PCR negative test was required 48 hours before arrival (if not fully vaccinated at least 15 days before). The local laboratory in Chantilly reported a big demand for testing the Friday before the meeting.
In the town itself, the occasion was strictly low key, with only a couple of signs promoting the famous race on view. At the railway station and the bar opposite, normally full on Diane weekend, it was almost deserted. And the hotels were missing the customary English racefans, who had to stay away because of quarantine regulations.
When I arrived at the entrance to the track around midday, there were small queues and strict checks taking place. Tickets could be pre-booked online, but there were several people waiting for the last few tickets available.
Everybody was obliged to wear masks inside, apart from in the restaurant areas. The vast pelouse area opposite the Tribune stand, where pre-race music is normally playing and large numbers of people are dressed in their finery enjoying picnics, was closed. Some live music played under the marquee restaurant area reserved for owners, trainers and breeders, so there was at least a little atmosphere.
France Galop provided plenty of places to buy food - and drink Champagne. And many racegoers had picnics on the grass in front of the Tribune stand.
One female racegoer familiar with the day said, “Sure there is less colour and atmosphere. It’s normal with people unsure of the situation and probably not wanting to spend a lot of money on a new outfit and hat, especially when having to wear a mask at the track. But the main thing is racing is back with spectators, which it needs. Let’s hope, with everybody getting vaccinated, racing won’t have to operate again behind closed doors.”
The action itself was excellent. As well as the G1 Prix de Diane, there were four G3s and a Arabian G1 on a ten-race card.
For the French, however, it wasn’t such a great day - foreign-trained horses won the Diane and two of the G3s. Indeed, for the second year running, no French-trained horse has won either the Prix du Jockey Club or the Diane, the two great French middle-distance Classics. Yet, for France-based Spanish jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, it’s been a stunning success. He won the Jockey Club for the second year in succession (on the Aidan O’Brien-trained St Mark’s Basilica) and the Diane on Sunday on Joan Of Arc, again for O’Brien.
With Covid restrictions at their peak in June last year, Mendizabal picked up a plum ride on the John Gosden-trained Mishriff in last year's Jockey Club. The horse won, giving Mendizabal his first G1 win since Lily Of The Valley in the Prix de l’Opera in 2010.
This is a welcome turnaround for the three-time French champion. He last won the Jockey Club on Vision d’Etat in 2008. “I had been riding quite often for Mark Johnston in France when out of the blue John Gosden asked me to ride Mishriff in the Jockey Club. After that, I had another Group 1 winner on Audarya at Deauville in the Prix Jean Romanet.
“This year my luck has continued, and I have been fortunate to ride three Group 1 Classic winners for Aidan O’Brien when normally Ryan Moore would have ridden them.”
He added, “I never doubted my ability to ride Group 1 winners given the chance. It’s a question of keeping the right mental approach and concentrating on the day-to-day job of trying to win races and hoping for the opportunity.”
So recently a forgotten man, the 47-year-old, who is up to 77th in the TRC Global Rankings, returned to huge applause on Joan Of Arc after the race. Indeed, the atmosphere around the winner’s enclosure was buzzing all afternoon, with everyone happy to be back on the racecourse.
Making my way home, I noticed a bar in Chantilly full of young people. It had nothing to do with horseracing, mind you. They were there to watch the Italy-Wales European Championship football match on widescreen TV. It was a nice way to end a great day, so I joined them.