Jean-Claude Rouget

Held in the highest regard by Jean-Claude Rouget, Al Shaqab Racing's Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) puts that on the line in Monday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. Impressive in the Listed Prix de Suresnes over this 10-furlong trip at Chantilly May 3, the homebred was one of the few fancied contenders compromised by a wide draw when fourth in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly June 5. That form has subsequently been boosted by those who finished either side of him, Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})...

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...

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)...

With Britain en fete in the midst of the Platinum Jubilee festivities, the Oaks and Derby fell slap-bang in the middle of a four-day bank holiday and, despite the absence of Her Majesty the Queen at Epsom, the meeting still offered much cause for celebration. Sir Michael Stoute is never one to blow his own horn, though he is often heard humming on Newmarket Heath while watching his horses work. And as one of British racing's senior trainers, on the royal roster to boot, he was a most fitting winning...

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...

There was drama at the draw for Chantilly's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club on Sunday, with a second draw required after an error in the initial process. Due to the withdrawn Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) being left in the bowl as the balls were selected on Thursday morning, France Galop opted to re-do the draw at 5pm which is sure to spark controversy for those who suffered a twist of fate. With no winner drawn in double figures since New Bay (GB) in 2015, the advantage of a...

DEAUVILLE, France--Deliverance came a day early for Katie McGivern at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale as lot 64, a Sioux Nation filly and lot 66, a filly by Siyouni (Fr), finished in the top five fastest times overall in the session. It was McGivern's fillies, the only two that she brought to one of the premier breeze-up sales in Europe, who emerged from the cavalry of 130 juveniles as being up there with the fastest on show. McGivern stuck her neck out in going to €68,000 for the Siyouni filly out...

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....

Jean-Claude Rouget is not prone to hyperbole so, when the decorated French handler compared the unexposed Al Hakeem (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) to his only G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) earlier this week, some people did a double take. Not Benoit Jeffroy, who manages Haras de Bouquetot on behalf of the Al Shaqab operation. Jeffroy has long been aware of the standing in which the multiple Classic-winning trainer has held Al Hakeem and, when the colt won the Listed Prix de Suresnes at Chantilly on...

Al Shaqab Racing's €80,000 Arqana September graduate Welwal (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}, who snagged two of three juvenile outings last term, went postward for Sunday's G3 Prix de Fontainebleau at ParisLongchamp coming back off a Mar. 22 conditions second at Chantilly and was comfortably on top at the end of the one-mile test. Steadied to race behind the leaders in sixth for the most part, the 28-5 chance made headway under pressure in the straight to challenge with 300 metres remaining and was ridden out in the dying embers to deny...

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....

Riviera Equine & Haras d'Etreham's 3-year-old colt Lassaut (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) followed up a Dec. 12 debut third going 7 1/2 furlongs at Deauville with a taking one-length triumph upped to one mile at Chantilly coming back for his sophomore return in Wednesday's Prix de la Broutillerie. The Jean-Claude Rouget trainee, sent postward as the 16-5 second favourite, was the slowest of eight into stride and raced in rear through halfway. Easing to the outside for a clear passage soon after passing the quarter-mile marker, he came under urging approaching...