Seven Classics in six weeks could be a snappy movie title but it’s far from fantasy for the Aidan O’Brien team, with Diamond Necklace odds-on to sparkle in Sunday’s French Oaks at Chantilly. Even by the unrivalled standards of his 30 years at the Ballydoyle helm, it’s already been a spectacularly successful Classic campaign for O’Brien in 2026.A hat-trick with a trio of different fillies in the three major 1,000 Guineas prizes has been added to by Gstaad in the Irish 2,000, Constitution River in the Prix Du Jockey Club and Christmas Day in last Saturday’s Epsom Derby.Now, on the eve of next week’s Royal Ascot action, it will be a surprise if Diamond Necklace doesn’t make it seven in the €1 million Prix de Diane.Unlike Constitution River having to defy a wide draw in the Jockey Club, the Irish filly has an ideal box in stall three of the 11 runners and, perhaps more to the point, the outstanding piece of form among them.Last month’s French 1,000 Guineas success at Longchamp had enough authority to make her a red-hot favourite to become the 29th filly to complete the French Classic double. Having won the Marcel Boussac as a two-year-old, Diamond Necklace can emulate the stellar quartet of Allez France, Divine Proportions, Zarkava and Blue Rose Cen if she stays unbeaten. Joan Of Arc in 2021 is O’Brien’s sole previous Diane winner, and she completed his set of Irish, English and French Classics. Diamond Necklace can manage the same feat for her jockey Ryan Moore.The English rider won his first Pouliches on the filly last month to go with a pair of victories in the Poulains, three in the Jockey Club, and two in France’s version of the St Leger, the Prix Royal Oak. It goes with 18 English Classics and 19 in Ireland. Even renowned names like Piggott, Eddery and Dettori came up short of a Classic clean sweep in Europe’s three major racing countries. That Moore could pull it off at 42 underlines his current status as Europe’s unrivalled top rider.Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore are enjoying an incredible run of success. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/©INPHO Wayne Lordan has twice upset the Ballydoyle pecking order in Classics this year but his mount this time, Moments Of Joy, faces a tall order against her stable companion in a race off at 3.05pm Irish time. “We always thought this distance [an extended 10-furlongs] wouldn’t be any problem. She’s a medium-sized filly and usually travels well in her races,” O’Brien said of Diamond Necklace. “She’s very like her sire, St Mark’s Basilica. When he went up to a mile and a quarter he improved again and everything she does is very like him.”Shane Foley travels to Paris to team up with the Newmarket Guineas runner-up Evolutionist for Karl Burke. She’s one of a handful of overseas raiders in a race where just four home defenders line up.O’Brien is even shorter odds than Diamond Necklace to be top trainer at next week’s Ascot extravaganza. He has already won the leading trainer award 13 times in his career and has a landmark figure looming.The Irishman is just four winners shy of a remarkable century at British racing’s showpiece event and will be fancied to reach it next week. He saddled five winners at last year’s meeting. His nearest rival is John Gosden, who has a career tally of 71.[ Jump racing open to criticism if ground conditions allowed to get too fastOpens in new window ]Part of the star-studded Ballydoyle team will be Minnie Hauk, who will take part in perhaps the meeting highlight, Wednesday’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, and a clash with defending champion Ombudsman and the French superstar Daryz.Minnie Hauk proved a bitter disappointment behind Almaqam in last month’s Tattersalls Gold Cup but her trainer has commented: “We feel that just didn’t play out well for her and we are prepared to forgive that run. She obviously stays further and a well-run race suits her well. Ascot should suit her well and we’re looking forward to seeing her in action.”O’Brien’s two other Guineas winners, True Love and Precise, are set to clash again for a third time this season in Friday’s Coronation Stakes. Gstaad will lead O’Brien’s hopes in the day one highlight on Tuesday, the St James’s Palace Stakes. Sunday’s domestic feature is Cork’s Darley Munster Oaks where Jim Bolger’s unbeaten filly Sparan Nua makes the jump into Group Three company. Winner of her two starts to date, Sparan Nua carries the colours of Newtown Anner’s Maurice Regan for the first time.With Declan McDonogh part of the Joseph O’Brien trio on board Beset, Nathan Crosse steps in for the Bolger star. Paddy Twomey runs the ex-Mark Prescott runner Bosphorous Rose for the first time. But the step up to the 12 furlongs, and the application of first-time cheekpieces, could see Twomey’s other runner, Perfect Your Craft, improve from her Irish debut when beaten a nose at the Curragh.