The Last Dance doubles up at ParisLongchamp, eyes top French classics

The Last Dance backed up her Chantilly promise in the clearest way possible at ParisLongchamp, and the significance went far beyond the margin. Carlos and Yann Lerner’s filly stayed unbeaten with a half-length win over Ymeeelih in the Prix du Louvre, a Class 2 conditions race over 1600 meters that looked less like a routine stop and more like a springboard toward the top of the French fillies’ division.

Christophe Soumillon gave her a patient ride in the €25,600 contest on good-soft ground, holding her up early before asking for progress. The answer came smoothly: The Last Dance made headway, took control with 300 meters remaining and held that edge to the line in 1:38.77. For a filly already marked as a TDN Rising Star after her debut victory in the Prix de la Serpentine at Chantilly on March 3, this second straight win confirmed that the first impression was no fluke.

What makes the result matter more than the narrow winning distance is the way she handled the mile. ParisLongchamp asked for balance, timing and class, and The Last Dance showed all three. That is the sort of performance that changes a filly’s calendar quickly, especially in France, where a clean record can turn an eye-catching prospect into a serious Classic name almost overnight. Her connections have already entered her in both the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and the G1 Prix de Diane, and the Longchamp effort gave those nominations real weight.

The timing also fits the race’s history. The Prix du Louvre has recently produced future Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winners Coeursamba in 2021 and Rouhiya in 2024, a run of form that gives added significance to any filly good enough to win it. ParisTurf has already pointed The Last Dance and fellow Longchamp winner Mijas toward the Poules d’Essai, and that looks the obvious next step if the Lerner team keeps her on this path.

By Iffraaj out of Mary's Precedent, The Last Dance is owned by Sheikh Omar Esmil Ghrghar and Antoine Gilibert and bred by SCEA Ecurie Haras du Cadran. She is also a half-sister to Group 2 winner Godspeed, a pedigree detail that now reads less like background and more like a warning sign for the rest of the Classic crop. Two starts, two wins, and a mile already handled with authority: the ceiling is getting harder to ignore.