Christophe Soumillon

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...

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....

Seven furlongs was not beyond Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum's G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park S. winner Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}) as he continued the winning thread in Saturday's G3 Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham S. at Newbury. Tracking Marc Chan's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and G1 Criterium International hero Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) as that rival proved too fresh and free on the front end, the 6-4 favourite was sent by him a furlong from home and answered Christophe Soumillon's call to...

Everest Racing, Mme Barbara M Keller and David Redvers' G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte victrix Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who ran second in Del Mar's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf when last seen, stepped forward to dent a host of lofty reputations with victory in a stellar renewal of Thursday's G3 Prix Imprudence at Deauville. Tracking the leaders along the stands' side rail in fourth until angling outside for a clear run approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 37-10 second choice gained a narrow advantage entering the final furlong and was...

The Aga Khan's Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) was the key member of an intriguing Prix Comrade at Saint-Cloud on Tuesday as a son of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix du Moulin heroine Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Labelled a TDN Rising Star on debut at Deauville in October, the homebred bay duly delivered to take his record to two-for-two in the mile conditions event which serves as a pointer to the Apr. 17 G3 Prix Fontainebleau and ultimately the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains....

From the mud and the murk of a storm-hit Deauville on Thursday emerged the latest TDN Rising Star as The Aga Khan's Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) strutted his stuff in the card's opening Prix de Saint-Desir for unraced juveniles. A son of the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix du Moulin heroine Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) racing for the Jean-Claude Rouget stable, the April-foaled bay was patiently ridden by Christophe Soumillon towards the rear early. Making smooth headway in the straight, the 41-10 second favourite...