Chantilly hosts the Prix de Diane, the French Oaks this afternoon. You will be able to see and wager on the race in betting outlets in England and Ireland. Paris is an hour ahead of London. Post time for the Oaks is 4 10 PM local time. It is a Group I race over 2100 metres.

There has been rain all week in Paris.The forecast for Sunday is dry weather but the going is expected to be good to soft. Fantasia, failed favourite in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (the French 1000 Guineas), is in the Oaks field. A runaway winner in Newmarket’s Nell Gwyn, Fantasia, trained by Luca Cumani, will have the riding services of Stephen Pasquier. Frankie Dettori rode Fantasia in the 1000 Guineas and will be in Cologne, Germany to ride Peligroso, a Godolphin runner, in a Group II race on Sunday.

Opposing Fantasia are two Jean Claude Rouget-trained sophomore fillies. Stacelita, four for four in her career, is Christophe Lemaire’s mount. Stacelita, on testing ground, ran away with the Prix Saint-Alary. The other Rouget runner is Tamazirte who will be ridden by Ioritz Mendizabal. Tamazirte was second to Elusive Wave in the French 1000 Guineas and was running on in the closing stages.

My pick is Stacelita. A Monsun filly, Stacelita is unexposed. Her best is yet to be seen. She should have no problem staying the Diane trip. Jockey Lemaire, winner of the French Derby last Sunday with Le Havre, had a choice and opted for Stacelita. He has said, “the ground was testing when we won the Saint-Alary. I don’t know if she will be good on a better surface. I chose her because we have already won a Group I. We will see after the Diane if she is out of the ordinary.”

Martin Dwyer had three winners on Saturday in Leicester’s twilight card. Jockey Dwyer won with the 11-4 Sweet Gale in the opener. He clicked with the 9-4 Dancing Jest and completed the treble with the 9-1 Desire To Excel. The in-form Dwyer flies to Milan to ride the Godolphin-owned Age of Reason, a winner at Qatar this year, in the Group I Gran Premio Di Milano Snai, a 2400-metre race on Sunday.

Peligroso is Frankie Dettori’s ride in Sunday’s Group II Oppenheim Union-Rennen at Cologne. It is a 2200-metre race. Peligroso comes off a photo loss and Dettori’s presence is a clear indication of trainer Saeed bin Suroor’s high optimism.

Jockey Darryll Holland returned to riding on Saturday after a three-week suspension. Holland’s new agent, David Harrison, had booked rides at Bath. Holland wasted no time getting off the mark with a decisive win in the opener. It was Exotic Beauty who made it all for Holland. The last three races in the Bath card were won by Very Well Red, Artistic License and Goose Green, all ridden by Darryll Holland.

“It was great to ride four winners on my first day back. I have ridden four winners in a day four times previously. One of those was in Hong Kong. Doing it again on my return is fantastic for myself and for David, my agent, especially with Royal Ascot coming up next week,” Holland exulted.

Here is news about Royal Ascot. I am guilty of an omission. Ascot’s Tuesday card opens with Group I races in a row. The Queen Anne will be followed by the King’s Stand. The third race will be the 1600-metre St James Palace. Mastercraftsman has been heavily supported and the O’Brien trainee is a 10-11 favourite in the St James Palce.

Ryan Moore will be aboard Again in the Coronation Stakes on Friday. Again, trained by David Wachman, won the Irish 1000 Guineas. John Murtagh’s ban begins on Friday and Moore is the replacement. Again takes on Ghanaati, winner of the English 1000 Guineas. Joining them will be Elusive Wave, winner of the French 1000 Guineas. Elusive Wave is from the red hot Jean Claude Rouget’s barn. Elusive Wave and Ghanaati share favouritism for the Coronation Stakes at 11-4.

Now the forecast for Royal Ascot. Rain is in the forecast for Monday. Dry weather will take over beginning Tuesday. The course is being watered. The going is to be described as good to firm on Tuesday and will continue to be so for the five-day meeting.

There were two Grade I races run in America on Saturday. At Belmont Park, the Ogden Phipps Handicap was contested. The three-part Godolphin entry of Sea Chanter, Music Note and Seventh Street went off the 1-5 favourite but it was Seattle Smooth who ran on strongly in the lane to register her fifth consecutive win. The Quiet American filly, handled by Ramon Dominguez, saved ground and delivered her bid turning for home and collared Seventh Street who had taken over the running. The time for the 1700-metre race was 1 42.13. Seattle Smooth returned $6.20.

Tony Dutrow, Seattle Smooth’s trainer, was pleased. “She was good today-had to be-I like her a lot at two turns. Saratoga is the same and she likes it out there. Go For Wand, a nine-furlong race at Saratoga, is her next target.”

The other Group I race was run at Churchill Downs. It was the Stephen Foster Handicap. The purse was $600,000. Macho Again, a son of Mucho Uno, came from last to first with a pulsating charge in a 7-1 upset. Robbie Albarado was the winning rider. Einstein, the favourite, ran into insurmountable road trouble. Asiatic Boy ran second and Einstein took third.

Jockey Albarado was winning the Stephen Foster for the third time in as many years. In 2007, Flashy Bull was Albarado’s mount. In 2008, the peerless Curlin won for Albarado. “The race set up perfect for us. I had an outside trip. We got a clear run and I put my horse in a spot to run around other horses,” Albarado said.

There was no Scoop6 winner in England on Saturday. There were five tickets going into the final leg. None of the tickets had Changing The Guard, a 12-1 winner at York. A sum of 149,899 pounds has been carried over to next Saturday. A bonus pool of 266,442 pounds is available once the Scoop6 is won. The Scoop6 winner picks the winner of one (nominated) race the following Saturday.

I finish typing this report about 10 AM on Sunday in London. There are two flat racing cards in England. They are Salisbury and Doncaster. Stratford has a jumps program. In Ireland, there is flat racing at Cork. Downpatrick stages a jumps card. There is big race action in Paris, Milan and Cologne.

It is absolutely delightful here. I will go for a long walk. There is no action in the evening. I will be in bed early and get a good night’s sleep. I have to conserve all my energy. Royal Ascot opens on Tuesday. The back and forth and continuous action will take its toll. I am preparing myself and a winning bet or two will make the week extra enjoyable.