G1 Prix Ganay

Joseph O'Brien has laid out an adventure in America for juvenile Group 1-winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), the target being the GI Manhattan S. in New York on June 8, in a path eventually routing to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. After having his sophomore season disrupted by injury, Al Riffa resurfaced in the G1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp and was only beaten by three-quarters of a length in a wild scramble on the wire. O'Brien admits his charge's size is something of a concern, and...

One of the outsiders for Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp, Odette Fau's Haya Zark (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) proved toughest where it mattered to up his level a notch and register a career-best at 19-1. Last seen recording back-to-back wins in Saint-Cloud's G3 Prix Exbury in March, the homebred who had also garnered this track's 12-furlong G3 Prix d'Hedouville last May was kept close to the early pace by Alexis Pouchin before being launched passing two out. Game and genuine to the line, the Adrien Fouassier-trained 5-year-old got there a...

A select field of nine will assemble for Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp, Europe's first Group 1 contest of the season, with G1 Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) among the likely protagonists. Liberty Racing's 4-year-old added to his Classic score when annexing September's G2 Prix Niel at the Bois de Boulogne venue, but failed to make an impression and was down the field in the following month's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He returned for this campaign with a pipe-opening second in last...

Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay was as strong as any in recent times and there was no fluke about the victory of Bertrand Milliere's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}--Inanga {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}), who provided trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvain and jockey Marie Velon with a once-in-a-lifetime moment at ParisLongchamp. Carrying a penalty for his G1 Prix Royal Oak success when an eye-catching second to Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt here three weeks previously, the 4-1 shot was anchored in last early with the pace generous. Delivered with...

Six months on from his near-miss in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, The Aga Khan's Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) returns to ParisLongchamp on Sunday for what amounts to a stern test in the G1 Prix Ganay. Last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Eclipse hero has a surprise awaiting him in James Wigan and Ballylinch Stud's G1 Champion S. winner Bay Bridge (GB) (New Bay {GB}), who was impressive on his seasonal debut in 2022 when taking the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. Ballylinch Stud also have...

Shadwell's Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), winner of the G2 Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp last out on Oct. 1, is due to make his first start of his 5-year-old campaign soon, trainer Owen Burrows confirmed on Wednesday. "He's good, he's in strong work. I've made an entry for him in the [G1] Tattersalls Gold Cup and he'll also have an entry for those two group races in France--the [G1 Prix] Ganay and the [G1] Prix d'Ispahan. One is at the end of April and one's at the end of May." The...

Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), the Aga Khan's 2022 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up, is likely to renew his rivalry in an early-season rematch with Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the G1 Prix Ganay after connections confirmed that is his most likely target on Wednesday. In last year's G1 Irish Champion S., it was the Aidan O'Brien trainee Luxembourg who struck first by beating Jean-Claude Rouget's charge over soft ground at Leopardstown on Sept. 10. With even more give in the ground a month later, the Aga Khan colt...

Breeding rights in young stallions Profitable (Ire) and Cloth Of Stars (Ire) will go under the hammer at Goffs Online during their February Sale from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10. Standing at Kildangan Stud for €9,000, Profitable, winner of the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, is the only stallion with multiple sprinting group winners from his 3-year-old crop. After siring the G2 Queen Mary S. winner in his freshman year, he covered 116 mares last season. With a stud fee of €7,000 at Haras...

Mare Australis (Ire) (Australia {GB}--Miramare {Ger}, by Rainbow Quest), a winner at the highest level in France, has been sold to Pascal Noue of Haras de la Hetraie and will stand there next year, www.galopponline.de reported on Tuesday. The deal was brokered by Tina Rau and Richard Venn. A fee for the dual-purpose stallion will be announced later. Bred by Stall Ullmann and raced by Gestut Schlenderhan and Andre Fabre, the 5-year-old won on debut at Munich in November of his juvenile year. In three starts at three, he scored...

After the decision to avoid the stress of a G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas examination for Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the latest renewal of the Newmarket Classic has become open season for up-and-comers in the miling division. Very few of the 14 left in the race can be safely discounted and with a filly unproven beyond six furlongs at the head of the market, it is fair to say that anything can happen in this one. There were shades of Ravinella (Mr. Prospector) in the way Ballydoyle's number one and 'TDN...

There are many things that Aidan O'Brien has managed to do in his 25-year tenure at Ballydoyle, but winning a G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas with a once-raced maiden winner would be something else despite all the raging excitement surrounding 'TDN Rising Star Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Even the 2009 heroine Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway), whose son Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was such a key member of the 2000 cast on Saturday, came to Newmarket with two starts behind her so we are in to the realms of the unusual...

2020 G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}-Starlet's Sister {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) has been retired and will take up stallion duties at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, owner Peter Brant announced on Tuesday. A colourbearer for Brant's White Birch Farm initially with Coolmore buying a 50% interest earlier this year, the 2019 French highweight's fee will be announced later. "A world champion at three and now an Arc winner at four, I have decided to retire Sottsass after what he has achieved," said Brant. "He...