Mickael Barzalona

His Highness The Aga Khan's hitherto unraced 2-year-old-filly Zarigana (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}--Zarkamiya {Fr}, by Frankel {GB}), a granddaughter of the storied Zarkava, produced a stunning performance in Sunday's Prix de la Butte Blanche over seven furlongs at Chantilly and emulated her illustrious second dam by securing 'TDN Rising Star' status on debut. The well-backed 11-10 favourite settled into a smooth rhythm and tracked the leaders in fifth after the opening exchanges. Angled off the rail for a clear passage approaching the quarter-mile marker, she settled the contest in an instant...

Andre Fabre trainee Gun Of Brixton (Fr) (Frankel {GB}--Cat Kate {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) encountered the 'TDN Rising Star' performance of Tiego The First (Fr) (Blue Point {Ire}) in his May 20 debut over six furlongs at Saint-Cloud, before graduating over seven furlongs back there last month, and continued on the upgrade with a Rising Star display of his own in Thursday's Prix Bamboo Edition at Clairefontaine. He becomes the 41st Rising Star for his sire. Steadied to race in third after a slick getaway in this one-mile test,...

Up in trip to seven furlongs for Sunday's Listed Prix Roland de Chambure at Deauville, Magne Jordanger and Finn Blichfeldt's TDN Rising Star Tiego The First (Fr) (Blue Point {Ire}--Kotama {Fr}, by Siyouni {Fr}) needed every bit of the new trip to register his black-type breakthrough. Held up early by Mickael Barzalona behind the pace set by the British raider Assertively (Ire) (Acclamation {Fr}), the Pia and Joakim Brandt-trained 19-10 favourite got that long-time leader just in time for a short-head success, with Madero (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) a...

Jaber Abdullah's Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}--Danega {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) took five attempts to add to last term's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains heroics, doing so in March's Listed Prix Altipan at Saint-Cloud, and suffered another three reversals before regaining the winning thread in Sunday's G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines at Chantilly. Marhaba Ya Sanafi, whose only prior visit to this right-handed venue yielded a third in last term's G1 Prix du Jockey Club, went postward for this coming back off a sixth in ParisLongchamp's May 26...

Haras Voltaire's Andre Fabre trainee Gun Of Brixton (Fr) (Frankel {GB}--Cat Kate {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) finished 3/4-of-a-length behind 'TDN Rising Star' Tiego The First (Fr) (Blue Point {Ire}) at Saint-Cloud last month and returned to the same venue to register a stylish victory in Tuesday's Prix Chateau Bouscaut over seven furlongs. 2nd-Saint-Cloud, €30,000, Mdn, 6-11, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:30.51, gd. GUN OF BRIXTON (FR) (c, 2, Frankel {GB}--Cat Kate {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who encountered the 'TDN Rising Star' performance of Tiego The First (Fr) (Blue Point...

Eva Nieslanikova's six-year-old entire Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}--Blessing Box {GB}, by Bahamian Bounty {GB}), undefeated in Europe since returning from a five-race winter jaunt to the Middle East, made it three-for-three this term with a dominant performance in Sunday's G2 Prix du Gros-Chene at Chantilly. Ponntos was successful in April's Listed Premio Certosa and last month's G3 Prix de Saint-Georges, his second victory in the latter, and assumed his customary frontrunning role from flagfall in this straight five-furlong dash. Untroubled throughout, the 6-4 favourite had all 11 rivals on the...

France looks to have a new staying star after the hybrid Melbourne Cup contender Sevenna's Knight (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) confirmed the form of the G3 Prix de Barbeville in Sunday's G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at ParisLongchamp. Bought by OTI Management prior to his breakthrough black-type win in Deauville's Listed Michel Houyvet in August, the Ammerland-bred colt had been kept back from big competition by Andre Fabre until his 4-year-old bow when sixth in Meydan's G2 Dubai Gold Cup. Showing the benefit of that patient approach when domineering Shembala (Ire) (Cracksman...

Recent winners of Chantilly's G3 Prix Sigy include subsequent Group 1 scorers Signs Of Blessing (Ire), Quiet Reflection (GB) and Sands Of Mali (Fr) and this year's renewal went the way of last term's Listed Prix Saraca victor and G3 Prix de Cabourg second Sajir (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}--Simple Magic {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who displayed elite-level potential defeating a solid cast of nine sophomore rivals in the 5 1/2-furlong dash. Last term's G1 Prix Morny sixth, who encountered a testing surface and dank conditions here, broke swiftly and...

It is 16 years since The Aga Khan enjoyed the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches-G1 Prix de Diane double with Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) and there was a genuine sense at ParisLongchamp on Sunday that he has a live prospect for a repeat. While the afternoon's G3 Prix de la Grotte winner Candala (Fr) (Frankel {GB}--Candarliya {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) can not yet be placed in the same bracket as that former luminary, the manner of her re-entry suggests that she is going to be one of the season's leading lights...

It was only a matter of time before Andre Fabre unveiled a new bright prospect among his 2024 crop of 3-year-old Classic aspirants and it was during Tuesday's meeting at Saint-Cloud that the Chantilly maestro delivered one of the first. Producing a power-packed performance in testing conditions, Nurlan Bizakov's homebred colt Narkez (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}--Nazym {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) earned TDN Rising Star status in the card's often-informative mile conditions event, the Prix Comrade, to prompt Prix du Jockey Club talk. Sent off the 3-1 second favourite behind stablemate Supercooled...

Jaber Abdullah's Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}--Danega {GB}, by Galileo {Ire}) was scoreless in four starts since annexing May's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and regained the winning thread in this seasonal return. Last term's G1 Prix du Jockey Club placegetter settled third along the fence through halfway, but slipped one spot rounding the home turn. Coming under pressure approaching the quarter-mile marker, he went second entering the final furlong and was ridden out to deny long-time leader Topgear (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths nearing the...

Rabbah Bloodstock's FROST AT DAWN (Frosted-Hawana, by War Front) has had the misfortune of squaring off with two of the best fillies in this jurisdiction multiple times--the undefeated pair of G3 UAE Oaks heroine Manama Gold (Star Guitar) on dirt, and Saturday's listed winner Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal). However, she finally got her chance in the spotlight trying the 1000-metre AED1,200,000 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint Sponsored By Emirates Skywards, and the William Knight trainee walked away with a Group 3 win over Godolphin's Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB})...