Saint-Cloud

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Observations include a colt out of G1 Oaks heroine Qualify. 12.48 Saint-Cloud, Mdn, €50,000, unraced 2yo, c/g, 7 1/2fT Godolphin's CUALIFICAR (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), is an Andre Fabre-trained son of G1 Oaks heroine Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and thus kin to this year's G3 Jebel...

Relishing the heavy ground at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, the Wertheimers' Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}--Dancequest {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) successfully defended his crown in the feature G1 Prix Royal-Oak. Tracking the leader Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) from the break, the 13-2 shot was committed by Maxime Guyon with 300 metres remaining and stayed on strongly to deny the 23-10 favourite Sevenna's Knight (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths, with Trueshan a head away in third. "I am very proud of him," trainer Christophe Ferland said. "Last year, we...

In the kind of fascinating group 1 encounter that the preceding Criterium de Saint-Cloud definitely was not, Ballydoyle and Wootton Bassett (GB) were the main stories again at the culmination of Sunday's Criterium International. Ryan Moore had picked last Saturday's impressive Leopardstown maiden-winning TDN Rising Star Twain (Ire) over the stable's Arqana Series Criterium d'Automne winner Mount Kilimanjaro (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and his judgement proved spot-on once more as the son of Wading (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) emerged with the Rosegreen bragging rights to stamp himself as a genuine Classic candidate for...

There are a trio of elite-level contests at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, with the Criterium International boasting arguably the most exciting protagonist in Maranoa Charlie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who looks to cap an unbeaten juvenile campaign. Having won his first three starts by a cumulative margin of nearly 20 lengths, including the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon over this mile trip and track earlier this month, Peter Maher, Carl Fitzgerald and John Baxter's TDN Rising Star is all substance and little hype as he faces his sternest test to date taken...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a half-brother to The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}). 2.30 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, €30,000, 2yo, c/g, 7 1/2fT AZIMPOUR (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) starts out for the Aga Khan and Francis-Henri Graffard stable and is a half-brother to Redoute's Choice's multiple group 1-winning sire The Autumn Sun...

Saturday evening's Arqana Arc Sale is always a boutique affair, and Sumbe's Ramadan (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) went the way of Vin Cox signing for Lion Rock Bloodstock's Ben Kwok of Hong Kong for €1.5 million to top the sale at Saint-Cloud. He was one of four seven-figure lots to sell among the 40 offered with the gross passing the €10-million mark for the first time. Consigned by Christopher Head, the bay son of Raushan (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) (lot 41) and half-brother to G3 Hoppings Stakes second Rasima (GB) (Iffraaj...

Just four lots after the €1.4-million sale of G1 German Derby hero Palladium (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) at the Arqana Arc Sale, the Aga Khan Studs' Zarir (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) stepped into the Saint-Cloud ring. Offered by his breeder, lot 38 caught the eye of Paulins Racing to the tune of €1.3 million. From the same female family as Arc heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar), the 4-year-old gelding has been placed in the G1 Prix Ganay, G3 La Coupe and G2 Prix Foy this season. He has been entered in the G2...

Saturday's Arqana Arc Sale at Saint-Cloud will now feature the AQPS graded winner Livio (Fr) (Cokoriko {Fr}) (lot 50). A winner of the G3 Prix du Tremblay on debut for trainer Lucie Pontoir, the gelding joins 39 other horses-in-training in the catalogue. Consigned by Etoile du Berger, he is out of a half-sister to graded winner Jazz Manouche (Fr) (Nom De D'La {Fr}) from the family of graded winners SF Kario De Sormain (Fr) (Gunboat Diplomacy {Fr}) and AQPS Gitane Bleue (Fr) (Cokoriko {Fr}). The sale will begin at 6:30...

Relishing front-running tactics, the Wertheimers' TDN Rising Star Pensee Du Jour (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) returned to winning ways in Monday's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud. Never in any serious danger once Maxime Guyon had committed, the Andre Fabre-trained 7-5 favourite who was runner-up in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix Allez France last month gave generously to score by 1 1/2 lengths from Quantanamera (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). It was at this track that Prix Rose de Mai started to look like a genuine Classic prospect last Spring when winning the Listed...

Cologne is the focal point of the next European Classic action on Monday, with the G2 Coolmore St Mark's Basilica German 2000 Guineas hosting the unbeaten Maigret (Ger) (Counterattack {Aus}) and a pair of British raiders in Devil's Point (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) and Ten Bob Tony (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). While the former looked the best of his generation at around this trip when winning Krefeld's 8 1/2-furlong G3 Dr Busch-Memorial last month, the foreign contingent have been mixing it in the big time with Ten Bob Tony...

Last seen finishing runner-up in the Listed Prix Maurice Caillault at Chantilly in March, Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois and Jean-Claude Seroul's Wootton Verni (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) stepped up to land Monday's G3 Prix Greffulhe and survive a subsequent inquiry at Saint-Cloud. Tackling 10 1/2 furlongs for the first time under Cristian Demuro, the 9-2 shot, who holds an entry in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, was anchored last of the quartet early before being launched wide of the duelling Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) and Casapueblo (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}) to...

It may not feel like the first day of May, but despite the gloom and the cold Royal Ascot Trials Day is upon us on Wednesday with the G3 Longines Sagaro S. the feature. Most of the big Gold Cup hopefuls are back in play, with the popular veterans Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}), Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) set to renew rivalry once again on the Berkshire terrain. In the G3 Commonwealth Cup Trial S. which is registered as the Pavilion S., the list of budding...