Christophe Soumillon

Christophe Soumillon will ride both Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) at Royal Ascot next week. Trainer Maurizio Guarnieri confirmed Soumillon would take over from the regular rider of the pair, Aurelien Lemaitre, due to his greater experience of Ascot. Big Rock, who won the Queen Elizabeth II S. on Champions Day when trained by Christopher Head, disappointed on his seasonal reappearance in the Lockinge at Newbury when he had valid excuses. He will be aimed at the Queen Anne next week....

Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti trainee Gala Real (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) notched an 11-length tally when shedding maiden status at Lyon-Parilly last November and continued on the upgrade with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance in Friday's Prix Durban at Saint-Cloud. The 73-10 chance, who had previously finished last of seven runners in her July 16 debut over seven furlongs at Chantilly, employed patient tactics from flagfall in this 10 1/2-furlong distaffers' test and settled off the tempo in sixth for the most part. Inching closer on the home turn, the daughter...

Preceded by a trio of sophomore Listed contests on the card, Saturday's G3 Prix Exbury at Saint-Cloud went the way of last year's three-length winner Haya Zark (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}--Haya City {Fr}, by Elusive City), who handled bottomless conditions at the Paris track and cruised to an easy 1 1/2-length victory from 50-1 Polish raider Gryphon (Ire) (Vadamos {Fr}). The 53-10 chance also bagged 2023's G3 Prix d'Hedouville and was dropped down to this 10-furlong trip for the first time since last term's heroics at this venue coming back off...

John and Susan Moore's Catnip (Kitten's Joy), beaten less than a length into third by Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Jan. 27, breezed six furlongs in 1:13 at the Fair Grounds Thursday morning in advance of his next appearance in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan Mar. 30. "He broke off behind another horse and went on by, finished well and galloped out nicely. Very pleased with the way he went," said trainer Mike Stidham. The 5-year-old is a four-time winner from his...

Aidan O'Brien had experienced a famine of sorts since annexing 2010's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud with Recital (Fr) (Montjeu {Ire}), but he was back in the familiar surroundings of Saint-Cloud's winner's circle after Ballydoyle second string Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}--Frequential {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) prevailed in a blanket finish to Sunday's latest renewal of the 10-furlong feature. The 67-10 chance found the necessary gears late on to register an ultimately impressive debut success tackling nine furlongs at Tipperary at the beginning of last month and was well away to...

The ten-time champion jockey in France sits down in a Deauville restaurant and starts speaking. For 45 minutes, Christophe Soumillon barely draws breath as he outlines in almost evangelical terms his plans to teach children to ride. His dream, of course, in establishing the Soumillon International Pony Academy, is to teach one or more of them to ride as well as he does. On Monday, the Société d'aménagement foncier et d'établissement rural (SAFER), a Normandy organisation charged with preserving green spaces, announced that Soumillon had beaten seven other applicants in...

Granted leave of absence from 'TDN Rising Star' Beauvatier's G3 Prix La Rochette victory in Paris earlier in the day, conditioner Yann Barberot was on hand to witness G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud placegetter Zagrey (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}--Grey Anatomy {GB}, by Slickly {Fr}) set the seal on a notable double, and claim a Group 1 first for his sire, in Sunday's 153rd Wettstar.de Grosser Preis von Baden. Last term's Listed Derby du Midi and Listed Grand Prix du Nord victor had his task made slightly...

Al Shira'aa Farms' bonanza weekend continued apace at Deauville on Sunday, with their star filly Jannah Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) coming back from her midsummer break to win the 10-furlong G2 Sumbe Prix Alec Head which is the re-named Prix de la Nonette. Off since her anti-climactic sixth in the G1 Prix de Diane, the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine was restrained to race in third by Christophe Soumillon off the moderate pace set by the G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up and G1 Irish Oaks fourth Lumiere Rock (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn})....

Haras d'Etreham resident City Light (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Rod Millman-trained daughter Denruth Diamond (Fr) graduated over 6 1/2 furlongs in Wednesday's Prix de la Rablais at Saint-Cloud. 2nd-Saint-Cloud, €30,000, Mdn, 6-14, 2yo, f, 6 1/2fT, 1:24.44, sf. DENRUTH DIAMOND (FR) (f, 2, City Light {Fr}--Jeune Et Jolie {Ire}, by Verglas {Ire}), who claimed minor prizes in outings at Windsor in April and May, was well away from the outside stall to race in an early second and assumed...

Undefeated Feed the Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) will be supplemented to the June 4 G1 Prix du Jockey Club, confirmed racing manager Gerard Larrieu, who purchased the colt for €270,000 at Arqana August on behalf of Jean-Louis Bouchard. Named a TDN Rising Star following an eye-catching 5 1/2-length victory going 10 1/2 furlongs at ParisLongchamp on Apr. 9, the Pascal Bary trainee returned to make it two straight with a victory at that same venue on Apr. 27. Christophe Soumillon, who was aboard for both of the colt's prior wins,...

Sent off the 8-5 favourite for a competitive renewal of ParisLongchamp's G1 St Mark's Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary, Al Shira'aa Farms' Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained Jannah Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Sophie Germain {Ire}, by Indian Ridge {Ire}) duly affirmed her abundant quality with a success that was as smooth as it gets in these demanding conditions. Switched off early by Christophe Soumillon, the unbeaten G3 Prix Vanteaux winner was coaxed to the front 300 metres from the line and asserted for a 3/4-of-a-length verdict over Elusive Princess (Fr) (Martinborough {Jpn}), who in turn...

Philippe Allaire's Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Enchanting Skies {Ire}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) landed  Tuesday's €50,000 Prix du Coq Chantant at Chantilly, the latest in France Galop's series of premium races for unraced 2-year-olds, earning in the process a 'TDN Rising Star' badge after posting an impressive 5 1/2-length triumph in the five-furlong dash. Beauvatier broke from the outside stall and raced in rear while working his way across to the stands' side rail. Making smooth headway from halfway, the 23-10 second favourite cruised to the front on...