Only days after star footballer Antoine Greizmann’s three-year-old filly Natsukashi was entered in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the filly impressed on only her second start to take second in the Listed Prix de la Seine at ParisLongchamp on French Guineas day.

Solid at the head of the market all day and finally sent off at odds of 9/4, the sensational Chantilly maiden winner was taking a significant step up in grade in this company. Jockey Aurelien Lemaitre did not have the luxury of riding room that his predecessor Jules Mobian had at Chantilly. Lemaitre was trapped in mid-division on the rail throughout a stop/start pace and had to wait until the open stretch 450m from home to deliver his challenge on the daughter of Motivator.

By the time Natsukashi could fight out the win, Andre Fabre’s Sea The Stars filly Burgarita was only a neck off the lead and from there the die was cast. Natsukashi impressed in the way she made up ground to go down by one and a half lengths, gaining valuable black type in the process.

Trainer Philippe Decouz was thrilled with the second place and told Jour de Galop:

She has run very well. She was up in grade today and we rode her for a place. She was given a lesson today and she was the only filly to make up ground on the winner in the home straight. It bodes well for the future and she will be even better over 12 furlongs. I’m not saying no to the Prix de Diane just yet, but we will see how she comes out of the race. The Royaumont (12 furlongs) on Prix du Jockey Club day will come too quickly so we might look at the Group Two Prix de Malleret on 14 July back at ParisLongchamp, also over 12 furlongs.

Although the Prix de Diane looks unlikely based on the reaction of Decouz, bookmakers have cut her to win the fillies’ classic from 33/1. bet365 go 16/1 and Unibet offer 20/1. Further ahead she is a 100/1 chance for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, though her best chance of Group One success this year would almost certainly come in the Prix de Royallieu, a Group One open to fillies and mares on Arc Saturday over 13 furlongs.

Burgarita is now 2-2 and impressed the betting operators enough to chalk her up at 8/1 for the Prix de Diane.

In time Natsukashi could be booked in to visit Griezmann’s stallion Tornibush, who stands for €2,000 and won a Group Three at ParisLongchamp.