Francis-Henri Graffard

Following the retirement of Alain de Royer-Dupre at the end of 2021, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard will take over the training of the horses based at His Highness The Aga Khan's private training centre at Aiglemont. Situated in Gouvieux, Aiglemont is currently home to 80-90 Aga Khan-bred horses. Past champions bearing the green with red epaulettes trained at Aiglemont include Zarkava (Ire), Dalakhani (Ire) and Siyouni (Fr). Graffard, a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start, spent four years at the Darley Racing Office before becoming an assistant to Alain de Royer-Dupre....

Largely unconsidered as the 26-1 outsider of six, Merry Fox Stud's homebred 2-year-old filly Acer Alley (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) created waves with a late burst for glory in Sunday's G3 Prix La Rochette at ParisLongchamp. She had previously bettered a June 11 first-up fourth going seven furlongs at Compiegne with a June 21 Saint-Cloud maiden score over the same trip in her only other start last time and raced fifth of the six runners from flagfall here. Nudged into contention with 500 metres remaining, Acer Alley came under increased pressure...

German Derby winner In Swoop (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}--Iota {Ger}, by Tiger Hill {Ire}), who was runner-up in the 2020 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, will stand under the Coolmore National Hunt banner in Ireland, the stud announced on Thursday. A fee will be announced later. "In Swoop is the 19th German Derby winner owned and bred by the Von Ullmann family who also bred and raced both his German Derby-winning sire and German Oaks-winning dam," said Coolmore's Joe Hernon who negotiated the purchase. "He's a striking horse from one...

German champion In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}--Iota {Ger}, by Tiger Hill {Ire}), a winner of the 2020 G1 Deutsches Derby, has been retired from racing with a tendon injury, Equidia reported on Monday. Stud plans are pending for the Francis-Henri Graffard trainee. The Gestut Schlenderhan colourbearer kicked off his career with a win at Lyon Parilly in May of his 3-year-old year and was third in the G2 Prix Greffulhe last June before his German Derby score. Second to Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris...

Fresh from a comfortable victory in ParisLongchamp's May 13 Prix d'Hedouville, last term's G1 Deutsches Derby hero and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}) was obliged to work somewhat harder for success in Sunday's G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly. Gestut Schlenderhan's 4-year-old, who also ran second in September's rescheduled G1 Grand Prix de Paris, was settled off a sedate tempo in fifth--with just the slow-starting Nagano Gold (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}) in arrears--past halfway in this 12-furlong test. Tanking forward to take closer order...

Building on a return second in the 12-furlong Listed Prix Lord Seymour at ParisLongchamp Apr. 18, last year's G1 Deutsches Derby hero and Arc runner-up In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}) returned to the same course and distance to get back to winning ways in the G3 Prix d'Hedouville on Thursday. Settled in a share of third early by Olivier Peslier, the 1-2 favourite was wound up to take control with 300 metres remaining and score by a comfortable 1 1/4-length margin from The Good Man (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}). "He is...

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...

Haras d'Etreham-based Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) became the latest European freshman sire off the mark when Francis-Henri Graffard trainee Faro de San Juan (Ire) notched a debut win in Chantilly's Prix du Soleil de Bretagne. Prominent throughout, the 160,000gns Tattersalls December foal and 13-10 favourite ran on well in the closing stages of the 5 1/2-furlong newcomers' test to score by a half length from Perfect Colour (GB) (Ultra {Ire}). 2nd-Chantilly, €27,000, Mdn, 4-26, unraced 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.74, gd. FARO DE SAN JUAN (IRE) (c, 2, Almanzor {Fr}--Fixette...

Last year's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Tiger Tanaka (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}) was back in action in Sunday's Listed Prix La Camargo at Saint-Cloud, but she had to play second fiddle to the emerging force Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) as Gemini Stud's representative dealt her a resounding six-length beating in the mile contest. Last seen finishing a length behind Tiger Tanaka when they were fourth and sixth in the 10-furlong G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud in October, the daughter of the dual stakes winner and G2 May Hill...

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...

There as a slow-motion finish to the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines on Sunday, where Al Shaqab Racing's 3-year-old Wooded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) gave his all to prevail in a drawn-out finale. Missing the kick a touch but able to grab the rail under Pierre-Charles Boudot, the 13-2 shot who had captured the six-furlong G3 Prix Texanita at Chantilly May 13 was marginally ahead passing the two-furlong marker. After seeing off his close companion Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), the lightly-raced bay hit the line a...

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...