Deauville

Providing a welcome winner for The Aga Khan Studs on the Deauville card they sponsored in its entirety, Rayif (Sea The Moon) lit up the G3 Prix Francois Boutin with a display that shouted Classic potential. A narrow winner over six furlongs here last month, the half-brother to the Commonwealth Cup third Rayevka brushed aside Ballydoyle's 7-10 favourite Daytona (Wootton Bassett) with a furlong remaining and surged to the line for a 2 1/2-length success. The Coventry fourth Andab (Saxon Warrior) denied Daytona second by a head. "I thought he...

Providing instant justification and reward for the investment by Sam Sangster Bloodstock, Ballydoyle's Diego Velazquez (Frankel) edged a thriller from Notable Speech (Dubawi) in Sunday's G1 The Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville. Always happy playing a prominent role away from the fence under Christophe Soumillon, the 12-1 shot stayed on to wrest the lead from Dancing Gemini (Camelot) with 100 metres remaining and found the line a head in front of the fast-closing Godolphin runner, who was 3/4 of a length behind in third. "He's always...

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...

Ahead of next week's York Ebor Festival, a middling Saturday in Britain and Ireland precedes a serious Sunday in France, where the G1 The Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois offers a grand spectacle of international flavour. Sponsored by Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard for many moons, Deauville's jewel of their August Meeting is now graced by another huge operation with great prestige to fit what has always been one of Europe's key events. Fortunately this year we get to see how a top Japanese runner can fare against...

Friday, Clairefontaine, France, post time: 14:33, PRIX GENYBET SPORT - GRAND PRIX DE CLAIREFONTAINE-Listed, €50,300, 3yo, 12fT Field: Jenilat Bright (Fr) (Birchwood {Ire}), Parachutiste (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Think Giant (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Waldnebel (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}), Square D'Alboni (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Spanish Breeze Cen (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). TDN Verdict: Francis Graffard trainee and G1 Prix du Jockey Club close-up 10th Parachutiste finished under three lengths adrift of Daryz when sixth in June's G3 Prix Eugene Adam and is presented with the opportunity of making a...

Britain's clean sweep of Deauville's valuable juvenile Arqana Series races was completed in style on Thursday by Valmont's Cape Orator (Mohaather) in the 6 1/2-furlong Criterium d'Ete. Off the mark for the Ralph Beckett stable at Kempton in June, the 15-1 shot cut loose approaching the final furlong and surged to a 3 1/2-length verdict over Street Show (Showcasing), the only French-trained two-year-old to make the first two in the trio of sales races. "We've always thought he was a very good horse, it's just taken a long time for...

July Cup-winning Richard Hughes's breakthrough summer as a trainer got better on Thursday as Rose Ghaiyyath (Ghaiyyath) landed Deauville's valuable Arqana Series des Pouliches. Always prominent under Christophe Soumillon, Jaber Abdullah's 6-1 shot started to gain the upper hand inside the last 1 1/2 furlongs and clung on gamely to deny Zaravina (Zarak) by a short head for another British one-two in the card's sales races. Like the winner of the colt's equivalent, Northern Champion, Rose Ghaiyyath is a graduate of the Arqana May Breeze-Up, having cost €110,000. Her dam...

Enjoying the stand-out profile ahead of Thursday's Arqana Series Des Poulains at Deauville, TBT Racing's €820,000 Arqana Breezer Northern Champion (Wootton Bassett) didn't disappoint en route to his big debut payday. Always comfortable tracking the leaders under Kieran Shoemark, the 17-5 favourite stayed on strongly to hit the front inside the final furlong and beat compatriot River Card (Hello Youmzain) by a length. "He was very brave and has plenty of speed," Shoemark said of the Ed Walker-trained son of the G3 Bow Mistress winner Zargos (Shamardal). "He knew his...

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 pricy breeze-up purchase. 4.38 Deauville, Debutantes, €160,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT NORTHERN CHAMPION (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the stand-out among the baker's dozen assembled for this valuable Arqana Series Des Poulains, being TBT Racing's €820,000 purchase from the Arqana May Breeze Up. Ed Walker has...

Former Major League Baseball champion Jayson Werth will be in attendance at Deauville when the exciting Outfielder lines up in the G1 Sumbe Prix Morny on Sunday, August 24. Werth, who owns the son of Speightstown in partnership with Amo Racing and trainer Wesley Ward, won the 2008 World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies. In racing, he is perhaps best known as the part-owner of Dornoch, who won last year's GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes for trainer Danny Gargan. Werth also played a starring role in the Netflix...

Circle the wagons and sally forth as one, for Deauville is in view, which means only one thing: it'll soon be Christmas. There is, however, a circuitous route to be navigated before we reconvene under the Normandy lights in December. And right now, surely even the older members of the travelling show can lift an enthusiastic heart, along with the odd glass or two, as the summer holidays merge happily with the beginning of the European yearling sales at Arqana and some damn good sport across the road at the...

Deauville's G1 ARC Prix Maurice de Gheest was one of the very few French Pattern races to have evaded Andre Fabre until Sunday, but Prince Faisal's Sajir (Make Believe) duly put that right with a command performance. Anchored in last early by Oisin Murphy, the 26-1 shot was always travelling like the best horse and after making his move on the wing tanked to the front a furlong out en route to an authoritative 1 3/4-length success from the 1-2 favourite Lazzat (Territories). Last year's winner was a head in...