Chantilly Racecourse

Eleven fillies will head postward for Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly after declarations were confirmed Thursday morning. Ryan Moore is set to partner G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine, and likely favourite, Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica), who has drawn stall three. Her Aidan O'Brien stablemate Moments Of Joy (Justify) will exit stall eight under Wayne Lordan. "Everything has gone well with Diamond Necklace since she won the French Guineas and I've been very happy with her," O'Brien commented, "The plan was...

Resolute Bloodstock's Goliath (Adlerflug) was unsuccessful in three starts since annexing last September's G1 Grosser Preis von Baden and rediscovered the winning habit in a hot renewal of Sunday's G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly. "He has been a very special horse for the whole stable and I'm very happy to have him in such good condition, both mentally and physically, at his age," said Francis Graffard. "Christophe [Soumillon] confirmed that and said his action was incredible today and like it was in Ascot when he won the King George. When...

The Aga Khan Studs' hitherto undefeated Behrayna (Sea The Moon) accounted for Zlata (Zarak) in last month's Listed Prix de la Seine at ParisLongchamp and repeated the dose in Sunday's G3 Prix de Royaumont at Chantilly to bolster her perfect record in the 12-furlong contest. "She's a lovely filly, we've always liked her and I have always wanted to step her up to a mile-and-a-half," revealed Francis Graffard. "She showed me that I was right, as she can be a little bit off the bridle, and she needs plenty of...

Dalham Hall Stud resident Perfect Power (Ardad) became the latest freshman sire off the mark when his Alessandro Botti-trained son Rouhi made a winning debut in Sunday's Prix d'Orgemont at Chantilly. The 11-1 chance was awkwardly into stride and occupied a position in rear through halfway. Shaken up with 350 metres remaining, he went third entering the final furlong and swooped late to deny Calyx Express (Calyx) by a short-neck in the shadow of the post. Rouhi is the first of three foals out of a full-sister to the dual...

Francis Graffard trainee Demah (Mehmas), Al Shaqab Racing's homebred half-sister to last term's G1 Prix du Moulin hero Sahlan (Wootton Bassett), made a winning debut in Wednesday's Prix de Brunehaut at Chantilly. Recovering from a slow start to race in midfield for most of the one-mile debutantes' heat, the 6-4 favourite launched her challenge inside the final quarter-mile and kept on well in the closing stages to comfortably outpoint Nina's Victoria (Victor Ludorum) by two lengths. Demah is the second foal and scorer out of Listed Berenberg Cup victrix Wasmya...

Yeguada Centurion's homebred Wootton Centurion (Wootton Bassett), who earned a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, with a six-length romp at Chantilly in September, returned to the scene of that debut triumph to record a narrow victory and retain his perfect record in Thursday's Prix de la Croix de Pontarme. Sent into an immediate lead once again, the 29-10 second choice was headed by 1-2 favourite Lord Clover (Siyouni) soon after passing the furlong marker and rallied gamely under continued rousting to deny that rival by a head in the...

Aga Khan Studs homebred three-year-old filly Edaja (Siyouni) added to her debut victory at Chantilly last month and remained unbeaten after pouncing late for the Francis Graffard stable back there in Thursday's Prix des Princesses. Patiently ridden in midfield until turning for home in the one-mile Polytrack test, she challenged out wide passing the furlong pole and edged ahead for a narrow verdict in the dying strides of a bunch finish. Edaja retains entries for the May 10 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and June 14 G1 Prix de Diane....

Karl Burke trainee Half Sovereign (Ten Sovereigns) had bagged four of six prior starts and was rewarded for earlier groundwork with a first black-type success in Monday's G3 Prix Miesque at Chantilly. "She was very good as we weren't convinced she wants really soft ground, although she's got a bit of form with give in it," said Burke. "I don't know what the strength of the race was, but she did it nicely. We couldn't believe at the time we got her for that [12,000gns] price, to be honest. We...

Francis Graffard representative Samangan (Blue Point), fresh off a stakes breakthrough in last month's G3 Prix Eclipse, went postward as the prohibitively priced 1-5 favourite for Saturday's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte and never gave connections a moment's worry with a stylish victory in the six-furlong contest. The Aga Khan Studs homebred stalked the pace in third from flagfall. Making smooth progress once past halfway, he eased to the front approaching the final furlong and was pushed out in the closing stages to easily account for Street Show (Showcasing) by 2...

Aga Khan Studs representative Samangan shed maiden status with an impressive wide-margin triumph at Deauville towards the end of last month and continued on the upgrade with a black-type breakthrough in Saturday's G3 Prix Eclipse Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage at Chantilly. "He broke slowly and therefore put himself in trouble from the start," reflected trainer Francis Graffard. "He was never really travelling smoothly and didn't look like a winner at halfway. Maybe the [soft] ground is the reason, but I don't know. When he started finding his best stride, the...

Saturday's flurry of TDN Rising Stars continued when Carlos and Yann Lerner trainee Evita (Persian King) made every yard of the running in Chantilly's Prix de Toutevoie to become the first Rising Star for her sire. Persian King, himself a Rising Star, joined the ranks at this venue in 2018. "For a long time we thought that this is a quality filly," revealed Yann Lerner. "Looking at the first race it seemed that making up ground was difficult, so I told Christophe [Soumillon] not to hesitate because she is very...

Yeguada Centurion's homebred Wootton Centurion (Wootton Bassett) made a mockery of his 6-1 odds and attained TDN Rising Star status with a stunning pillar-to-post victory in Saturday's Prix de Villebon at Chantilly. He becomes his sire's 16th Rising Star and joins a list which includes this year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Camille Pissarro. "He has always been a very straightforward colt since he arrived in training and was one of the first ones I put in serious work," said trainer Victoria Head. "He showed us that he needed...