Francis-Henri Graffard

Craig Bernick and Haras d'Etreham's hitherto untested 2-year-old filly Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never--Sparrow {Ire}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) was hammered down to 5-2 favouritism at the tills for Thursday's €30,000 Prix des Closeaux at Chantilly and returned home with a 'TDN Rising Star' badge after making all for an impressive success in the straight six-furlong newcomers' test. Breaking smartly to seize an immediate lead, she was in command throughout and kept on powerfully under pressure inside the final quarter-mile to easily outclass Freville (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}) by 3...

Al Asayl France's homebred 2020 G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. hero The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Hazel Lavery {Ire}, by Excellent Art {GB}), returning off an Oct. 15 seventh when making his fourth start in the Ascot benchmark last time, registered a hat-trick in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix Altipan with a comfortable win in Thursday's latest edition of the one-mile test. It was the 8-year-old gelding's sixth success in eight outings over the track's course and distance. Settling into a smooth rhythm racing at the tail of the eight-runner field into the...

A pair of three-year-old colts bred and raced by His Highness the Aga Khan are off to Australia after accounting for two of the three top prices during Monday's horses-in-training section of the Arqana Autumn Sale in Deauville. Catalogued as lot 344, the gelding Carini (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was the owner of current stakes form, having recently finished runner-up in the Listed Prix Vulcain (2500m) at Deauville for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. A three-time winner from his six lifetime starts overall, including conditions events over 10 furlongs at ParisLongchamp in June...

Carini (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a latest runner-up in the Oct. 19 Listed Prix Vulcain for the Aga Khan and Francis-Henri Graffard, was knocked down to Nicolas Lefevre's Equos Racing on the phone with Astute Bloodstock's Louis Le Metayer for €600,000 during Monday's horses-in-training session of the Arqana Autumn Sale in Deauville. The 3-year-old gelding is a winner of three of his six lifetime appearances. "I bought it with my former boss, Louis Le Metayer, for one of his Australian clients," commented Lefevre. "It's been four years since we bought together,...

Eleven-times Group 1 winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) is likely to visit leading European sire Sea The Stars (Ire) in her first year at stud in 2023, Racing.com reports. Co-owner Brae Sokolski told the website that the decision was not final, but that the ownership was leaning in the direction of breeding to the sire that has been represented by the world's top-rated turf horse Baaeed (GB) and the legendary stayer Stradivarius (Ire). "She'll be served to northern hemisphere time and while no final decision has been made on...

Group 1 winner Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) will be offered during the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale during Dec. 3-6. A winner of the G1 Prix Vermeille, the 4-year-old landed the G2 Prix Corrida, G3 Prix de Flore, and the Listed Prix La Camargo in the Gemini Stud silks for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard earlier in her career. Graffard said, "It's been a pleasure to train this magnificent filly for the last three years. Very brave and with a great temperament, she achieved all her objectives this year...

G1 Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) will run in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. at Ascot on Oct. 15, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard revealed on Tuesday. She will be part of a two-pronged attack in that race for the trainer on QIPCO British Champions Day alongside G1 Prix Vermeille winner Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Unplaced in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet to start her European campaign, the 11-time Group 1 winne ran third in the G2 Prix Foy, and was most...

Rebounding off a fourth in a quality renewal of July's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Gemini Stud's G2 Prix Corrida victrix Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--High Heel Sneakers {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) showed a clean set of heels to her 10 rivals and made all to register a first elite-level triumph in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp. Swiftly into stride and passing every marker in front, she was scrubbed along as the pack threatened off the home turn and called upon abundant reserves under an all-out...

Crack Australasian mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) will return to the racecourse on Arc trials weekend in either the G1 Prix Vermeille or the G2 Prix Foy on Sept. 11, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard revealed. The dark bay was last of seven in her first Northern Hemisphere run, the G1 Prix Jean Romanet, earlier this month. Depending on how the 11-time Group 1 winner performs in September in those 1 1/2-mile races will determine if she will step out in the Oct. 2 G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe....

Following the frantic Saturday, a sense of serenity returns to the European racing scene on Sunday with Deauville hosting the leading action including the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet. In the latter contest, France says bienvenue to the Australian wonder Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) who makes her eagerly anticipated Northern Hemisphere debut under Frankie Dettori for the Francis-Henri Graffard stable. Her astounding 11 Group 1 wins in her former country make her a figure of worldwide renown, but a 12th in Europe would truly...

Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) could make her first European start in August as her new trainer Francis-Henri Graffard revealed he is considering a bid for the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville. A sensation in Australia, Verry Elleegant won 11 Group 1 races--including the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup--under the care of Chris Waller before it was announced in May that she would continue her career in France.  The G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the G1 Fillies & Mares Stakes on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot were...

The Caesars Turf Triple, the New York Racing Association (NYRA)'s series for 3-year-olds on the grass, will kick off July 9 at Belmont Park and may include a major European contingent. NYRA released the invitees Saturday for both the GI Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational, worth $1 million, and the $700,000 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational. Both the male and female divisions begin at the distance of 1 1/4 miles. Of the six races in the series--three each for colts and fillies--four were won last year by European-based trainers. Aidan O'Brien, who...