Christophe Soumillon

Jockey Christophe Soumillon rode his first winner since returning from his 60-day suspension with his very first mount in France. He was aboard Black Milord Tavel (Fr) (Saddex {GB}) on Saturday, who won a two-mile Chantilly handicap by a head for trainer Eric Lecoiffier. The Belgian earned his suspension for elbowing fellow jockey Rossa Ryan out of the saddle in a race at Saint-Cloud on Sept. 30. Soumillon, who lost his retainer with His Highness The Aga Khan for the elbowing incident, had traveled to South Africa last weekend and...

Christophe Soumillon, who is currently serving a two-month suspension for elbowing fellow jockey Rossa Ryan off his mount earlier this year, will not serve a lengthier ban, after France's Gaming Police opted not to pursue their inquiry into the matter, Jour de Galop reported on Thursday. Stephane Piallat, who leads the Gaming Police, told JDG, "We have taken into account the explanations of Christophe Soumillon. He reassured us that he was not at risk for disturbing the public order if he returned to competitive riding. So it's a no-cost warning....

According to information obtained by Jour de Galop, France's Gaming Police mailed a letter to France Galop earlier this week requesting that suspended jockey Christophe Soumillon's licence be withdrawn indefinitely or that his ban be lengthened, the paper writes in its Sunday edition. Soumillion was suspended for two months after elbowing fellow jockey Rossa Ryan out of the saddle during the running of the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon on Sept. 30. "The fall (of Rossa Ryan) was not accidental, but was caused by Christophe Soumillon. This behavior is voluntary and...

Christophe Soumillon, who was banned from race-riding for two months for causing Rossa Ryan to be unseated from his mount mid-race at Saint-Cloud, will no longer be the retained jockey for the Aga Khan Studs. An announcement released by the operation on Tuesday morning read, "Following last Friday's incident at Saint-Cloud, which resulted in the fall of Rossa Ryan, the Aga Khan Studs have taken the decision to cease their retainer with jockey Christophe Soumillon with immediate effect. "From this week onwards, Soumillon may still ride in the Aga Khan...

In the headlines for an infamous moment of pure madness on Friday afternoon, jockey Christophe Soumillon returned to the winner's enclosure aboard His Highness The Aga Khan's Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}--Ervedya {Fr}, by Siyouni {Fr}) after winning Saturday's G2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein at ParisLongchamp. The 'TDN Rising Star', who had earlier annexed June's G3 Prix Paul de Moussac at Chantilly, relinquished his perfect record when beaten two necks in the Aug. 14 G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville when last seen and lined up as the 7-5 pick...

Jockey Christophe Soumillon has had his twelve-day suspension for careless riding in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. reduced to eight days following an appeal hearing on Thursday. On board Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), the pair cut across and impeded the third- and fourth-placed finishers William Buick on Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) for Charlie Appleby and James Doyle on Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for John and Thady Gosden after the winning post, as Soumillon celebrated. The stewards reviewed the race and subsequently handed out their suspension. Soumillon, speaking via...

Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti trainee Breizh Sky (Fr) (Pedro The Great--Anna Danse {Fr}, by Anabaa) announced his arrival with a breathtaking 'TDN Rising Star' display, winning by 5 1/2 lengths, contesting a six-furlong newcomers' heat at Saint-Cloud in his May 17 debut last time and lined up in the colours of Alain Jathiere for this black-type debut. Swiftly into stride and leading throughout this one-turn test, he was stoked up in early straight and, despite racing greenly and rolling around on the front, fended off all challenges under urging inside...

Delivered by fate to coincide with the centennial year of The Aga Khan's Studs, the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) descended on Sandown on Saturday to mark the occasion by providing his owner-breeder with a landmark first G1 Coral-Eclipse S. success. In the kind of tight finale that could comfortably have been predicted given the highly-competitive nature of this year's renewal, the Prix du Jockey Club hero held a fast-diminishing neck margin over the arguably unlucky Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), with the race's other 3-year-old Native Trail (GB)...

Confirming his position as the chief three-year-old sprinting colt, Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) produced his customary generous effort to emerge on top in a highly-competitive and tight G1 Commonwealth Cup on Friday. First establishing himself in the top tier when storming up the stand's side to win the G2 Norfolk S. here 12 months ago, the relentlessly-professional star of the Richard Fahey set-up had since garnered the G1 Prix Morny, G1 Middle Park S. and G3 Greenham S. before being stretched beyond his capabilities...

What an excellent weekend of European Classics, which featured a sprinkling of some intriguing "what ifs" to flavor what's to come in the months ahead. On Friday, Aidan O'Brien won his 41st British Classic--yes, you read correctly--when Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Lillie Langtry {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) short-headed the unlucky John Gosden-trained Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) after an exhilarating face-off in the waning stages of the G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom. It was a familiar affair in more ways than one. The fillies are by champion half-brothers,...

One hundred years on from the late Aga Khan III's initial foray into European racing, the internationally-renowned and respected operation were celebrating a momentous Classic victory as the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}--Vaderana {Fr}, by Monsun {Ger}) dominated Chantilly's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club. Always travelling easily in the slipstream of the leaders from his favourable inside draw, the May 10 G3 Prix de Guiche winner pounced on the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) with 300 metres remaining and a furlong later...

He had to fight to extend his winning sequence on his black-type bow on Thursday, but Al Asayl France's L'Astronome (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Tymora, by Giant's Causeway) proved equal to the task when eking out a narrow verdict over Galaxie Gold (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}) in a thriller for ParisLongchamp's G2 Prix Hocquart. Sent off the 7-10 favourite for the 11-furlong test, having shown abundant promise so far and having scored over slightly shorter at this track last time Apr. 28, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained chestnut was unable to get a lead from...