Prix de Diane report and reaction: Joan Of Arc wins at Chantilly for Aidan O'Brien and Ioritz Mendizabal

The Ballydoyle maestro had already sent St Mark's Basilica to plunder a famous French Guineas-Derby double thanks to impressive wins in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club and while Newmarket heroine Mother Earth was only second in the equivalent of the French 1000 Guineas, Joan Of Arc stepped up to the plate on this occasion.

Ridden by Spanish-born multiple French champion jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, the daughter of Galileo - last seen finishing second to stable companion Empress Josephine in the Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh - relished the move up in distance and found plenty for pressure after coming under a drive soon after turning into the straight.

The 4/1 shot galloped on strongly to deny main market rivals Philomene (3/1 favourite) and Burgarita (9/2).

Mendizabal was also on board St Mark's Basilica in his victories for the O'Brien yard at ParisLongchamp and Chantilly and punched the air with delighted on crossing the line in front once again.

O'Brien was also completing a remarkable set having now won every UK, Irish and French Classic throughout his training career.

O’Brien said: “I’m absolutely delighted. I’m so delighted for everyone. Ioritz gave her a great ride. She’s a homebred filly, so it’s incredible really.

“Obviously we’ve tried to win the race lots of times – but it’s a very difficult race to win, very competitive. I’m absolutely over the moon.

“We thought she was very good from her first run in Ireland when she got beat by a very good filly of (son) Donnacha’s – then she won her maiden very easily and she went to a Guineas trial next time, and all the leaders went a little bit too fast, and it didn’t really suit her.

“Her next run after that she won a Group Three at Leopardstown and was then just beaten in the Guineas.

“That’s why Sue (Magnier, part-owner) named her Joan Of Arc, (because) she was obviously always very special.

“She has progressed with every run – (and) she’s a lovely mind, very well-balanced and a big, long stride.

“She looks very exciting. What was very exciting about her today, I think she won a length, so she went to the line very strong.

“When you can ride them that handy and find that much for pressure – as the distance was going on, she was really opening up – she’s really exciting.

“Speaking to Ioritz, he was really impressed with her and thought a mile and a half would be no problem. He said she really only got going a furlong out – he was saying she would love stepping up, so I think it (Arc) has to be a big possibility.

“It’s an amazing race, and we’re just very lucky to have some very good three-year-olds at the moment – and Love as well.

“I suppose it’s a good position to be in. We’ll try to space out their races and give them a little rest in between and head that way then for the autumn.”

Asked to compare his English and French Oaks winners, O’Brien said: “I suppose they’ve come from different routes really.

“We thought both were very high-class two-year-olds.

“Obviously this filly came from the Guineas route – whereas we started Snowfall at a mile and a quarter and then went up to a mile and a half.

“We know Snowfall gets a mile and a half very well, and obviously this filly hasn’t run over it yet – but she has progressed with every run.

“They’re very exciting fillies.”

O’Brien is delighted to have struck up a fruitful partnership with Mendizabal this term as coronavirus restrictions continue to impact on jockeys’ ability to travel to France.

He added: “We are just so thrilled Ioritz agreed to ride for us, he’s very intelligent, a brilliant horseman and has great experience. We were obviously very confident after speaking to him – he’s a world-class rider, and we’re just so grateful that he agreed to ride our horses. It’s a real privilege.

“When we talk to him we feel so confident. He’s very intelligent – he works out what he wants to do and what could happen, and all the different options.

“We leave it to him really. We feel so privileged that he’s riding for us really. He’s a very special rider, very special.”

Medizabal said: “Aidan O’Brien is my Santa Claus! He has given me two superb horses to ride in recent weeks.

“I want to thank him very much. He gave me some simple instructions, but when the horses are as good as that, it’s easy.”

“All this success is a direct result of the hard work put in at home and for me to be working with the Aidan O’Brien team is just incredible!

“I can imagine that my two daughters and my mother were shouting at the television. Throughout the race I was just getting ready to accelerate. I wasn’t pushing her, I was simply just going with her in her stride.

“As of 400 metres (two furlongs) out I wasn’t fully sure we were going to win because Sibila Spain is a good filly, but Joan Of Arc fought hard and got there for me.”