Cristian Demuro

There was a buzz in the air building up to Sunday's Prix de Crevecoeur at Deauville, the latest instalment of France Galop's series of premium races for unraced 2-year-olds, and the 7 1/2-furlong renowned staging post did not disappoint as His Highness The Aga Khan's homebred Elbaz (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}--Elennga {Fr}, by Exceed And Excel {Aus}) delivered an impressive debut display. The 9-5 favourite broke alertly and was reined back to stalk all five rivals as the whipper-in through halfway. Making eyecatching headway in the straight, he quickened in impressive...

Putting the "wow factor" into Friday night's G1 Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp, Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard's TDN Rising Star Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Knyazhna {Ire}, by Montjeu {Ire}) swooped on unsuspecting victims to provide further proof of the outstanding merit of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club form. Only fourth behind Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) in that 10 1/2-furlong Chantilly Classic, the Pascal Bary trainee who had dazzled on his first two starts looked an unlikely winner throughout the early stages with Cristian Demuro detached in last....

Jean-Claude Rouget trainee Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}--Speculating {Ire}, by Xtension {Ire}) created a favourable impression when notching a two-length debut triumph going six furlongs at Saint-Cloud in May and delivered a performance of raw power to earn a 'TDN Rising Star' badge over the same trip in Saturday's Prix de la Croix des Veneurs at Chantilly. Havana Cigar failed to make best use of his stands' side draw and was steadied at the tail of the six-runner field after missing a beat at the kick. Powering by rivals...

Ecuries Serge Stempniak's hitherto undefeated Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}--Absolutly Me {F}, by Anabaa Blue {GB}) posted a third straight win when annexing last month's Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly and returned to that Paris venue for Classic glory in Sunday's €1,500,000 G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club. Preceding his black-type breakthrough with impressive early-season wins at Cagnes-sur-Mer and Bordeaux-Le Bouscat, the 19-2 chance extended trainer Jean-Claude Rouget's record to six wins in the contest after defeating 17-10 favourite Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) by an impressive...

Handed his chance at black-type after impressive wins over 10 furlongs at Cagnes-sur-Mer in January and over 9 1/2 furlongs at Bordeaux-le-Bouscat last month, Ecuries Serge Stempniak's Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}--Absolutly Me {Fr}, by Anabaa Blue {Ire}) showed his Classic hand in Thursday's 10-furlong Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly. Again exhibiting early keenness as Cristian Demuro sought cover towards the rear, the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Grand Prix de Paris entry was far from compromised by that initial expenditure of energy as he swamped the leaders...

Hot on the hooves of Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) powering to 'TDN Rising Star' status, Riviera Equine and Eric de Chambure's 3-year-old filly Elzora (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}--Elodie {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) joined him in the elevated ranks with an equally-impressive display in the 10 1/2-furlong Prix de Chaillot at ParisLongchamp. The May-foaled homebred bay employed waiting tactics from flagfall and settled off the pace in rear until easing forward into midfield with a half-mile remaining. Asked to close at the top of the home straight, the 39-10 chance...

With the prospect of the initial progeny of Cracksman (GB) encountering middle-distances and testing ground in their second seasons, the signs were strong that the Dalham Hall resident would come to the fore and Thursday's early Spring meeting at Saint-Cloud proved early confirmation as the newcomer Silver Crack (Fr) stormed to TDN Rising Star status. Anchored behind the early leaders by Cristian Demuro, the well-supported 9-10 favourite for the 10-furlong Prix Suave Dancer for 3-year-old colts and geldings moved to the front well in hand with 300 metres remaining before...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. With plenty of interest from an American-bred perspective this weekend, here are the runners for Saturday's programs at Tokyo and Hanshin Racecourses. A pair of juveniles will be features in this space in Sunday's TDN: 4th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400m GREAT SAND SEA (c, 2, Into Mischief--Game for More, by...

Between them, Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) and Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) accounted for three Horse of the Year titles in Japan, 13 Group 1 races--including four overseas--and the better part of $28 million in prizemoney. There is no such thing as a sure thing in the business of breeding horses, but Geraldina (Jpn) went some ways in cementing the accomplishments of mom and dad in their second careers with a tough-trip victory in Sunday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Hanshin Racecourse. Drawn widest in the field of...

Ecurie des Monceaux's unraced 2-year-old filly Snowpark (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}--Starlet's Sister {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), a half-sister to Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), went postward at odds of 37-10 for Thursday's Prix de Hotot-En-Auge over one mile at Deauville and returned home with a 'TDN Rising Star' rosette after producing an impressive closing burst in the debutantes' heat. Snowpark was swiftly into stride from the inside stall and raced in a close-up third through the early stages. Shuffled down to fifth soon after turning for home, she was shaken up approaching...

His Highness The Aga Khan's hitherto undefeated Rajapour (Ire) (Almanzor {Fr}--Raydara {Ire}, by Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) took his record to a perfect three-for-three with a comfortable victory in Wednesday's Listed Prix Isonomy at Deauville. Wednesday, Deauville, France PRIX ISONOMY-Listed, €60,000, Deauville, 10-19, 2yo, 8fT, 1:49.53, sf. 1--RAJAPOUR (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Almanzor (Fr) 1st Dam: Raydara (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $136,082), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) 2nd Dam: Raydiya (Ire), by Marju (Ire) 3rd Dam: Raydaniya (Ire), by In The Wings (GB) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-H H The Aga Khan;...

White Birch Farm's 2-year-old colt Kubrick (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Rosa Bonheur, by Mr. Greeley) backed up a July 24 debut second going seven furlongs at Dieppe with a breakthrough triumph at Deauville last month and continued on the upgrade by turning back a strong Irish challenge in Thursday's G3 Prix des Chenes at ParisLongchamp. The eventual winner employed patient tactics from flagfall and was settled sixth, at the tail of the field, through halfway. Making continued headway under pressure in the home straight, the 31-10 second favourite quickened to gain a...