Zainta takes the French Oaks

The Aga Khan's Zainta scrambled home by a short head in the French Oaks, the £141,414 Prix de Diane-Hermes, at rain softened Chantilly yesterday.

Zainta earned full marks for endeavour and effort, but scored rather less in the style department, as Abbatiale pushed her to the limit.

The odds on shot had only three behind her in the early stages, as the two pacemakers, Mannsara and Freak Out, ensured a fierce gallop.

They inevitably dropped away at the business end, as the blinkered Loving Claim, unsuited by the softish ground, flattered all too briefly.

This was the prelude to a fierce struggle between the handily placed throughout Abbatiale and Zainta, in which both fillies gave it their all.

However, Zainta forced the decision in the very last stride by a short head, with the running on Insight a further two lengths back.

Earlier, the Derby winning rider, Olivier Peslier made all on Andre Fabre's Fragrant Mix to beat Sibling Rival by three parts of a length in a moderately run £35,494 Group Two Grand Prix de Chantilly.

Prix De Diane Hermes (Gr 1) (3-y-old fillies), £141,414. 1m 2 1/2f. Zainta b f Kahyasi - Zaila (Aga Khan) 9-0 G Mosse 1; Abbatiale, 90 F Sanchez 2; Insight, 9-0 C Asmussen 3. Also: Good Enough (4th), Another Dancer (5th), Minority (6th), Loving Claim (7th), Banquise (8th), Plaisir des Yeux (9th), Freak Out (10th), Mannsara. 11 ran. (A de Royer-Dupre). Time: 2m 11.2s. Dist: Sht hd, 2l, 2 1/2l, 3l, 3l, 2 1/2l, 6l, 1l, 10l. Pari-Mutuel (inc 1F stake): Win 1.40 (coupled with Mannsara); places 1.10, 1.70, 1.40. DF 11.30. 11 ran.

Victory Gallop's dramatic last gasp win in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday cruelly denied Real Quiet of the chance of becoming the 12th American Triple Crown winner and a $5 million bonus.

Trainer, Bob Baffert, had suffered a similar fate last year with Silver Charm, and he was to relive the ordeal all over again in front of an 80,162 crowd - the second largest in Belmont Park history.

The hecklers had cruelly reminded Baffert beforehand of one newspaper headline, "Bob, not today", and so it was to prove.

The odds on shot repeated the tactics that has rocketed him to fame in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, by making a sweeping move on the far turn that enabled him to open up a four length lead turning for home.

Victory Gallop, having bided his time in the early stages, gave valiant chase as Real Quiet's stride began to progressively shorten.

However, Real Quiet would yield only grudgingly, and it wasn't until the very last stride that the Gary Stevens-ridden Victory Gallop prevailed by a nose, with Thomas Jo six lengths back in third.