Diamond Necklace had little trouble seeing off main market rival Friendly Soul in the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes.
Aidan O'Brien's unbeaten daughter of St Mark's Basilica was making it a perfect six from after three wins last term and Classic victories at Longchamp and Chantilly earlier in the 2026 campaign.
The race went relatively smoothly for Ryan Moore's mount, who settled off the pace and was brought to challenge Friendly Soul who had taking it up from early front-runner Moments Of Joy soon after turning for home.
To her credit, Friendly Soul found plenty for pressure in the straight but the three-year-old Diamond Necklace - in receipt of 9lb weight-for-age - was far too strong, coming two and three-quarter lengths clear inside the last furlong.
Paddy Power and Sky Bet make the winner 7/2 (from 6/1) for next month's Yorkshire Oaks.
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Post-race reaction
Aidan O’Brien said: “Diamond Necklace is a lovely filly who has danced every dance. This was up to a mile and a quarter against older fillies, so we did not really know what was going to happen, but we wanted to put on pace to find out. We did not want a Mickey Mouse race.
“She has options now, whether she stays at a mile and a quarter and goes to the fillies’ race in France, or to Leopardstown or an Arc trial. She has all of those options open to her. She goes on soft ground as well as fast ground. She is a great cruiser and progressing well.
“She is very high quality. You can see the way she travels through her races. Ryan was just saying that he was hoping to leave her longer but, when she came out, he had to go on with her because her stride was broken. She has a lot of class.
“It is possible [the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe]. I do not know how far we ask her to go, and it will depend on everything, but the next run will tell us where she is going to go after that. She loves nice ground and a fast track, so she has lots of options.
“Constitution River will get all the options too. At the moment, he is going to York, so we are looking forward to him. The lads are never afraid to run against one another, but we will get the next one out of the way and see where we are at.”
Moore said: “That is the best Diamond Necklace has felt. She is improving with her racing. Aidan said she was up in her weights a bit today, so she is obviously thriving.
“She is classy, very easy really. She travelled smoothly and quickened up well. She is still a little bit idle in front, but she is a proper racing machine. She gives you a classy feel. Every time I have ridden her, she has travelled with loads of pace, loads of enthusiasm, and she has a turn of foot. That is what her father had, a really good turn of foot, and that is evident with her.
“I think 10 furlongs is probably her optimum, but with those classy horses, they do everything right, so there is a chance she would stay further. She would have no trouble dropping back as well. We will see.”
Co-owner Derrick Smith said: “She certainly was an enjoyable watch today. That is what we are in the game for, to see horses like this. She is six from six, she has done a Bow Echo, on all types of ground, so it is fantastic.
“You get nervous when they go in the gates and, when the gates go up and the race is on, you think, ‘Maybe it is not going to be as easy as we thought it was going to be.’ But that is what we are in it for – ‘the buzz’, as they call it, and it never leaves you. You just want more and more.”
Thady Gosden said of Friendly Soul: “She has run a very nice race. Of course, the winner is a fast-moving exceptional filly, so all credit to her. Friendly Soul ran a very nice race there in second. It is great to have her back over a mile and a quarter. Everything went to plan and she has run a big race.”
Asked whether she will stick over this distance, Gosden added: “We will see how she comes out of it. There are a few options for her. Whether we look at France, there is enough time until then, so we will see how she comes out of it and work out a plan with her owner-breeders, George and Julia Strawbridge. She is a pleasure to train. She is obviously an older mare now, so she knows what she is meant to do and saves her best for the track.”
See The Fire’s jockey Oisin Murphy said: “I thought the winner was very good. See The Fire ran a good race. She probably struggles on the downhill part of this track, but she hit the line well.”
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