By Sean Cronin
Francis Graffard trainee Cankoura (Persian King) was last seen running third in June's G1 Prix de Diane and bounced back in style to register a first pattern-race triumph for her second-crop sire in Sunday's G3 Sky Sports Racing Prix de Psyche at Deauville.
“On the formline, she was the hot favourite and probably should have won today, but you're never quite sure,” said Aga Khan Studs' Nemone Routh. “She was drawn seven of seven, Mickael [Barzalona] got a nice position on her, but he had to bring her out quite early. She's a lovely filly in the sense that she's become more professional with her races. She breaks well and really settles now and she's just a very straightforward filly. Looking at her in the paddock, you wouldn't have thought she was completely wound up. She had a bit of a belly on her and I imagine she will improve for the run. We'll see how she comes out of the race and the [G1] Prix Jean Romanet is the plan.”
The 3-5 favourite was steadied off the tempo in sixth after an alert break from the outside stall. Stirred into action soon after turning for home, she quickened smartly to launch her challenge entering the final furlong and ran on strongly in the latter stages to comfortably outpoint Life Is Beautiful (Night Of Thunder) by 3/4-of-a-length. Zia Agnese (Romanised), carrying a three-pound penalty for her G3 Prix Cleopatre success, kept on well to finish a head adrift in third.
Pedigree Notes
Cankoura, who becomes the first pattern-race winner for her second crop sire, is the fifth of eight foals and one of four scorers out of dual Group 2-winning G1 Prix Vermeille second Candarliya (Dalakhani), herself a full-sister to Listed Prix Scaramouche victrix Canndera and a half to multiple stakes-winning GII Belmont Gold Cup Invitational, GIII Stars And Stripes Stakes and GIII Sycamore Stakes placegetter Canessar (Kendargent). The January-foaled homebred grey is a half-sister to G3 Prix de la Grotte victrix Candala (Frankel), the dual stakes-placed Carini (Siyouni), the hitherto unraced 2-year-old colt Candizal (Zarak), a yearling colt by Siyouni and a weanling filly by Baaeed.
Cankoura wins the Group Three @SkySportsRacing Prix de Psyche at Deauville!
The classy filly shows a good turn of foot to put the race to bed nicely for @GraffardRacing and @AgaKhanStuds! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/FpCVmfirIN
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 3, 2025
Sunday, Deauville, France
SKY SPORTS RACING PRIX DE PSYCHE – FONDS EUROPEEN DE L'ELEVAGE-G3, €73,200, Deauville, 8-3, 3yo, f, 10fT, 2:03.61, gd.
1–CANKOURA (FR), 125, f, 3, by Persian King (Ire)
1st Dam: Candarliya (Fr) (MGSW & G1SP-Fr, $534,189), by Dalakhani (Ire)
2nd Dam: Candara (Fr), by Barathea (Ire)
3rd Dam: Caribbeandriftwood, by Woodman
1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Aga Khan Studs (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €36,600. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 7-4-0-1, €217,900. *1/2 to Candala (Fr) (Frankel {GB}), GSW-Fr, $103,673; and Carini (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), SP-Fr & Aus, $166,614. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Life Is Beautiful (GB), 125, f, 3, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Beautiful Morning (GB), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Lady Bamford; T-John & Thady Gosden. €14,640.
3–Zia Agnese (Fr), 128, f, 3, Romanised (Ire)–Little Sister (Fr), by Le Havre (Ire). (€27,000 Ylg '23 ARQAUG). O-Gina d'Amato & Richard Marini; B-Team Hogdala AB; T-Gianluca Bietolini. €10,980.
Margins: 3/4, HD, 3HF. Odds: 0.60, 5.70, 21.00.
Also Ran: Whataboutism (Fr), Miss Of Change (Fr), Safia (Fr), Al Uqda (Ire).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
