Cualificar (GB)

Last year's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Daryz (Sea The Stars) is set to face five rivals in Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay World Pool by PMU at ParisLongchamp after declarations for the 10 1/2-furlong contest were confirmed Friday morning. The Aga Khan Studs homebred is in fine fettle ahead of his seasonal debut according to Francis Graffard, who has ambitious plans for the four-year-old further down the line. "He's in fantastic shape and looks amazing," the trainer reported earlier this week. "I started working him some time ago...

Sunday's G2 Qatar Prix Niel looked the least-convincing on paper of all the Arc "trials" on the ParisLongchamp card and, while the times backed up that impression, few would count the improving Andre Fabre colt Cualificar (Lope De Vega) out for next month's feature. Up to a mile and a half for the first time, Godolphin's Prix du Jockey Club runner-up had to do it all late on as he was freed from the pack to master his peers but had the answers for William Buick to enter the fray...

Well-beaten in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) when last seen in April, Tsuyoshi Suzuki's Alohi Alii (Duramente) proved a class apart on his European bow in Saturday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. Allowed to bowl along in front by Christophe Lemaire, the Hiroyasu Tanaka-trained 5-1 shot took off in early straight to dominate the 10-furlong test and was eased late to beat the solid yardsticks Rashabar (Holy Roman Emperor) and Cualificar (Lope De Vega) by 3 1/2 lengths and a head. This race was run almost three...

A seemingly wide-open renewal of Chantilly's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club ultimately produced the most straightforward outcome as Ballydoyle's Camille Pissarro prevailed as the 12-5 favourite. Drawn against the rail, one of the stable's abundance of Wootton Bassett colts only had to follow the pace aided by the yard's Trinity College taking the shortest route. Ryan Moore's only complication came in the closing stages as he needed to thread the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner through a gap no more than a horse's width but he had all the...

Godolphin's homebred 3-year-old Cualificar (Lope De Vega) made a stakes breakthrough in last month's G3 Prix La Force and doubled his pattern-race tally with a dominant 1 1/4-length success in Tuesday's G3 Prix de Guiche at Chantilly. The even-money favourite broke well and shadowed the pace in second through halfway in this nine-furlong G1 Prix du Jockey Club trial. Cruising to the front approaching the quarter-mile marker, he was stoked up with 350 metres remaining and kept on powerfully in the closing stages to comfortably hold the late threat of...

Let go at 8-1 for Sunday's G3 Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp despite his trainer Andre Fabre holding the record of eight successes in the Prix du Jockey Club trial, Godolphin's Cualificar (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) emerged front and centre to extend that tally. Off the mark over 10 furlongs at Saint-Cloud last month, the son of the 2015 Oaks heroine Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) followed the early pace and had first run on The Aga Khan's Studs' 6-4 favourite Azimpour (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to score by a...

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. Tuesday's Observations features siblings to Group 1 winners and offspring of Group 1 winning mares.  14.30 Deauville, Mdn, €30,000, unraced 2yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT) Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's KINDLEO (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is a Christophe Ferland-trained full-brother to last term's G1 Prix de la Foret heroine Kelina (Ire)....

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...