The Revenant (GB)

Winless since capturing the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere 12 months ago, Nurlan Bizakov's Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) thrived back on a deep surface to sign off with a win in Sunday's G3 Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud. Showing he retained his ability when third in the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at ParisLongchamp on Arc Saturday, the Andre Fabre trainee was kept fresh in the interim and raced a touch freely early anchored in fourth against the rail by Bauyrzhan Murzabayev. One of five who stayed far side swinging for home, the...

   Following the week's high-class activity, Sunday is more low-key as Deauville's August Festival wraps up with the historic G2 Grand Prix de Deauville where the Wertheimers' G3 Prix de Reux winner and G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud third Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}) sets the standard. Third last year, Gerard Augustin-Normand and the Moussac Family's Fenelon (Fr) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) looks to have improved in the interim and comes to Normandy with confidence sky-high followings wins in Lyon Parilly's Listed Prix Bedel and Listed Grand Prix de Lyon. Classy old...

Ireland's Flat action may have already started and France's has been rumbling on for several days, but for many the real beginning to the season on the level is Doncaster's Lincoln H. on a Saturday which wrests the attention from the national hunt in no uncertain terms. Whether there is a horse of the calibre of Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) lurking in the prestigious mile handicap remains to be seen, but there is a strong vibe surrounding another member of the William Haggas tribe in 'TDN Rising Star' Al Mubhir...

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...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed 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 'TDN Rising Star'. 15.00 Saint-Cloud, Listed, €55,000, 3yo, f, 10fT Ballymore Thoroughbred Racing's 3-year-old filly PENSEE DU JOUR (IRE) (Camelot {GB}) made a spectacular winning debut at Chantilly last month, attaining 'TDN Rising Star' status with a geared-down four-length tally over 9 1/2 furlongs, and...

Declarations for Saturday's Champions Day bonanza at Ascot were finalised Thursday morning, with no surprise defections from the main contests. Shadwell's hitherto undefeated Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will conclude his racing career in the £1.3-million Qipco Champion S. and faces off against last year's G1 Derby and G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Baaeed has drawn stall one, and Adayar stall six, in the day's feature event. Elsewhere on the £4-million card, Cheveley Park Stud's G1 Coronation S. and G1 Prix...

There was the kind of drama at ParisLongchamp on Sunday that nobody needs as Godolphin's 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace S. hero Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) suffered a fatal injury in early straight before Jason Fill's Dreamloper (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Livia's Dream {Ire}, by Teofilo {Ire}) ran out an impressive winner of the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. The Ed Walker-trained mare, who had also won the G1 Prix d'Ispahan here May 29, was prominently-placed throughout by Kieran Shoemark and was therefore ahead of the 21-10 favourite's...

   Sunday's G1 Prix d'Ispahan at ParisLongchamp sees two of France's big names Skalleti (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) and The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) go head-to-head over the unique intermediate trip of nine furlongs 55 yards. While Skalleti has yet to strike at this exalted level despite holding the enviable tally of seven group-race wins, his compatriot has won one of the most prestigious of them all in Ascot's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. in October. Disappointing so far this term, Al Asayl France's The Revenant could have been forgiven for...

Group 1 winner The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who ran fourth in the G2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud on May 1, will appear in either the May 30 G1 Prix d'Ispahan at ParisLongchamp or the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot on June 15. A winner of both the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein on Oct. 3 and the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on Oct. 17, the gelding ran third in the G3 Prix Edmond Blanc in his seasonal opener on Apr. 3. "He's come out of the...

Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. hero The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) has emerged from his QIPCO British Champions Day test in good order and will not start again this year. Besides the QEII, the 5-year-old gelding also landed the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein on Arc Weekend this term, his second edition of the race. "He's back in his box and very happy--he came out of the race well," said trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. "The QEII was the plan since the race last year. Obviously we had to miss a big...

On a day when only the fittest survived, the suitably dramatically-titled The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) as expected made light of Ascot's very testing ground to take the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. for France. Like the G1 QIPCO Champion S. hero Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) runner-up in his respective race 12 months ago, Al Asayl France's chestnut had a proven love of these conditions in his armoury as well as freshness having only re-appeared this season a fortnight previously when winning the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at ParisLongchamp. Sent...

Al Asayl France's The Revenant (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) had not seen since running second in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot last October, but he showed no signs of rustiness to register back-to-back wins in Saturday's G2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein at ParisLongchamp. Steadied at the break by Pierre-Charles Boudot, the 7-10 favourite was in an easy rhythm in fifth before being angled to the outer in early straight. Looming large with 300 metres remaining, he was pushed out once gaining an edge soon after to assert by...