Chantilly

With the last eight winners of the G1 Cazoo Oaks hailing from Ballydoyle or Clarehaven, this particular rivalry is taking on epic proportions unmatched in the great Epsom Classic's history. Not even the duels between the race's record holder Robert Robson and Dixon Boyce in the early 19th century and between the current Rosegreen maestro and the late Sir Henry Cecil at the end of and beginning of the 20th and 21st enjoyed such mutually-exclusive domination. There is more than a strong chance that it will be extended on Friday,...

There was drama at the draw for Chantilly's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club on Sunday, with a second draw required after an error in the initial process. Due to the withdrawn Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) being left in the bowl as the balls were selected on Thursday morning, France Galop opted to re-do the draw at 5pm which is sure to spark controversy for those who suffered a twist of fate. With no winner drawn in double figures since New Bay (GB) in 2015, the advantage of a...

There was just the one withdrawal from Friday's £550,000 G1 Cazoo Oaks on Wednesday, with the removal of Kirsten Rausing's G3 Musidora S. third Ching Shih (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) meaning that 11 fillies will head postward for the Epsom Classic. The John and Thady Gosden-trained market leaders and TDN Rising Stars Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and  Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) have been drawn alongside each other in five and six respectively, while of Ballydoyle's quartet Coolmore and Westerberg's 1000 Guineas third and Irish 1000 Guineas...

It was Wednesday morning, 5 December 1990. The phone rang. 'You running anything at the weekend?'. Inwardly I groaned, I knew what was coming. I was running a handicapper slightly past his best in the 2,100m handicap at Saint-Cloud on the Saturday.  An older horse with his issues, not a comfortable ride, Lester had ridden him 11 days earlier when he was a well beaten third. 'Ok, I'll come and ride him'. And so, to my embarrassment, he flew over at his own expense for one, dodgy ride. It was...

Guy Pariente's homebred sophomore colt Kingentleman (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Restiadargent {Fr}, by Kendargent {Fr}) was off the board in all three prior starts at black-type level and lined up for Monday's G3 Prix Texanita at Chantilly as the 27-1 outsider-of-eight coming back off a pair of sixths in last month's G3 Prix Djebel and G3 Prix Sigy. The eventual winner, successful twice at this venue earlier in the campaign, raced under a firm grip behind the leaders early and tanked forward to stalk the pace in second after the initial exchanges....

   After Tiber Flow (Ire) (Caravaggio) and Twilight Jet (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}) advertised their claims for Royal Ascot's G1 Commonwealth Cup this weekend, it is the turn of Al Shaqab Racing's Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) to put his name in the hat in Monday's G3 Prix Texanita at Chantilly. The G1 Phoenix S. hero was a disappointing fifth on his return in the six-furlong G3 Abernant S. at Newmarket Apr. 13, but he has plenty in hand on his seven rivals on his best form. One who...

Tuesday's action at Chantilly saw the first winner for Dalham Hall Stud's Harry Angel (Ire) (by Dark Angel {Ire}) as the Mauricio Delcher Sanchez-trained colt Vicious Harry (Fr) took the five-furlong Prix du Coq Chantant for unraced colts and geldings. Settled in behind the early leaders by Tony Piccone, the 4-1 shot reeled in Neversay (Fr) (No Nay Never) inside the final 150 metres for a 1 1/2-length success. The dam is a granddaughter of the great Miesque (Nureyev), descended from her via the Listed Prix de Lieurey scorer and G3...

His Highness The Aga Khan's Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), winner of last term's Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage, was a class above his rivals in Tuesday's G3 Prix de Guiche and laid down a marker for next month's G1 Prix du Jockey Club with an impressive 2 1/2-length success in the nine-furlong Chantilly feature. The homebred bay had previously opened up with a July 21 debut score at Bordeaux-Le Bouscat and closed his three-race juvenile campaign with a third in this venue's Sept. 29 G3 Prix de Conde....

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Insights features Amaretti Virginia, a half-sister to Group 1 scorer Ebro River. 4.02 Chantilly, Mdn, €27,000, 3yo, c/g, 10fT WUNDERKNABE (GER) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) made a splash at the 2020 BBAG September Yearling Sale when selling as the highest-priced colt at €260,000. Francis-Henri Graffard introduces Heike Bischoff-Lafrentz's...

Jean-Claude Rouget is not prone to hyperbole so, when the decorated French handler compared the unexposed Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) to his only G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) earlier this week, some people did a double take. Not Benoit Jeffroy, who manages Haras de Bouquetot on behalf of the Al Shaqab operation. Jeffroy has long been aware of the standing in which the multiple Classic-winning trainer has held Al Hakeem and, when the colt won the Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly on...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a daughter of Group 1 winner Ridasiyna (Fr) (Motivator {GB}). 2.50 Chantilly, Debutantes, €27,000, 3yo, f, 10fT RIDAVIYA (FR) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) is a daughter of the G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Ridasiyna (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) who starts out for that talented mare's trainer Mikel...

Off the board in two prior starts at black-type level, Carlos and Yann Lerner trainee Miramar (GB) (Profitable {Ire}) lined out for Wednesday's 5 1/2-furlong G3 Prix Sigy at Chantilly coming back off an Apr. 4 conditions second over the track's six-furlong strip on seasonal return and she swooped late to snag a career high in ultimately snug fashion. Last term's Listed Prix Zeddaan fourth raced off the tempo in rear through halfway. Scrubbed along to close passing the quarter-mile pole, the 67-5 chance came under sterner urging thereafter and...