Proportions Simply Divine

Divine Proportions produced a stunning performance at Longchamp on Sunday to maintain her unbeaten record with victory in the Gainsborough Poule d´Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas).

Her trainer Pascal Bary declared the filly a 'phenomenon' and the best horse he had ever trained as she racked up her seventh successive victory with a five-length triumph over Toupie.

Despite her pacemaker Ratukidul not being able to give her a lead, jockey Christophe Lemaire still put her in just behind Cherokee, who was endeavouring to set the race up for her Aidan O´Brien-trained stablemate Silk and Scarlet.

However, once Lemaire pushed the button on his mount three furlongs from home there was no contest as she surged clear.

Rank outsider Toupie ran on to be a distant second while Ysoldina was third, a length and a half adrift.

'She is a special filly,' said Alan Cooper, racing manager of the owners the Niarchos Family.

'You are always worried going into the next race that your horse will lose its unbeaten record but she showed something extra today.

'We will not make a definite plan for her now but she could step up in distance for the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) in early June.

'The options for a mile are the Coronation Stakes or the Prix Jaques Le Marois, where she´d take on older horses for the first time.

'She is very special and we have no regrets about not going to Newmarket for their Guineas, it would not have been fair.'

Bary, who won this race for the late Stavros Niarchos in 1994 with East Of The Moon, was absolutely delighted with the performance of his charge.

'Is she the best I have ever trained? She is today!' he said. 'No, I would say she is the best I have had in my yard. She is a phenomenon and the way she ran today was like a filly who had stamina.'

? PA Sport