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Beauty Parlour draws post 9 in French Oaks Beauty Parlour will face just 11 rivals as she bids to complete the Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-Prix de Diane double at Chantilly on Sunday. Keeping her unbeaten record intact in the May 13 Longchamp mile contest when last seen, Ecurie Wildenstein's homebred daughter of Deep Impact has received a wide draw in nine as she bids to emulate the recent dual classic heroines Divine Proportions (2005), Zarkava (2008) and Golden Lilac (2011). As usual, His Highness The Aga Khan is strongly represented with the Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained duo of Sagawara and Dalkala and the supplemented Jean-Claude Rouget trainee Valyra. A win from any of that trio will see the famed owner-breeder surpass the six-time-winning owner Auguste Lupin and create a new record of his own. Sagawara booked her slot in this contest with a game short-neck defeat of the re-opposing Rjwa, with another of Sunday's rivals in Forces of Darkness the same margin away in third, in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp last out on May 27. The Shamardal filly bids to become the fourth to follow up success there with glory here since 1998. Dalkala, whose dam, Daltaya, was disappointing when beating only two home in the 2006 edition of this classic, is the choice of Christophe-Patrice Lemaire over her stablemate Sagawara. The unbeaten Giant's Causeway filly, who captured the May 15 Group 3 Prix Cleopatre, has history against her. No filly has won that 1 5/16-mile Saint-Cloud prep and this race since Pawneese in 1976. "Christophe (Lemaire) had the choice of all three runners, not just my two," de Royer-Dupre, who has saddled six winners all for The Aga Khan, told PA Sport. "Dalkala was very impressive the last day at Saint-Cloud in a Group 3, but I'm a little bit worried about the ground. It may be a little soft for her. I always think Giant's Causeway's are better on good ground. I have no doubts about her condition, the race is at the right time for her, it's just the ground. "Sagawara will be OK on the ground, she has had two runs on soft ground and coped with it. Her dam is by Linamix and I'm sure she can adapt well. She is already a Group 1 winner. Normally the Saint-Alary is not good timing to run in the Diane, but I hope it didn't take too much out of her." Valyra has no black-type form to commend her, but the Azamour filly also boasts a perfect record and was impressive when registering a three-length success in a 10-furlong conditions event last time May 18 over the course. She could be in line to play a pace-making role here, as her half-sister Valasyra did two years ago in aid of the same connections' ultimately successful Sarafina. Coolmore's hand appears strong, with Kissed looking the pick of a smart trio to race in Derrick Smith's silks. So impressive when dealing out an 8 1/2-length beating to Aaraas in the Salsabil Stakes over 10 furlongs at Navan April 29, she was denied a chance to show her true potential when a late scratching from the Group 1 Epsom Oaks due to the fast surface. Aaraas went on to fill the same placing behind Princess Highway in the May 16 Group 3 Blue Wind Stakes at Naas, where Kissed's stable companion and subsequent Oaks heroine Was was back in third. She may have more to offer than her barnmate Up, who attempts to reverse a length defeat by Beauty Parlour in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp. She looked as if this step up to middle distances would suit on that evidence, and it may be a mistake to view her as exposed, with some of Ballydoyle's better fillies in recent times only finding their full stride several runs into their career. Andre Fabre, who has captured this classic four times, saddles Petite Noblesse, who completes the Smith triumvirate. She did not enjoy the rub of the green when eighth in the Pouliches, having looked a very smart performer in the making previously when winning a mile conditions event at Longchamp April 23. Francois Rohaut puts forward Trois Lunes, an intriguing contender on the basis of her neck defeat of Sagawara in the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux at Longchamp April 29. She bids to become the first to complete the Vanteaux-Diane double since Latice in 2004. Owner Gerard Augustin-Normand is represented by the Prix Saint-Alary third Forces of Darkness and the supplemented Leaupartie, who earned her ticket with an authoritative win against the de Royer-Dupre-trained Verema in a conditions race over this trip at Saint-Cloud May 25. Ground conditions are expected to ride good-to-soft, soft in places on Sunday after a drying forecast. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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