Francis-Henri Graffard

"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" is perhaps an apt way of describing the racing career of Calandagan thus far, even if he does have a Royal Ascot victory to show for his efforts, having been a runaway winner of last year's G2 King Edward VII Stakes. Since then, the son of Gleneagles has been campaigned exclusively at the top level and it's been a case of close but no cigar, with four consecutive runner-up finishes in the Juddmonte International, Champion Stakes, Dubai Sheema Classic and Coronation Cup. Beaten just...

Francis-Henri Graffard looked set to have the one-two-three in Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines heading to the closing stages, but while that didn't transpire France's pre-eminent trainer of 2025 was ultimately in the right place as Gezora (Almanzor) brought it home. Continuing the timeless love affair between American interests and French racing, the daughter of the 2006 Diane runner-up Germance proved strongest in the Chantilly Classic to complete the Saint-Alary-Diane double for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm. Sent off at 11-2 having upped her game last month at ParisLongchamp...

Last month's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches demotee Shes Perfect (Sioux Nation) heads a field of one dozen contenders for Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane Longines after Thursday morning's final declarations were announced for the €1-million Chantilly Classic. Basher Watts Racing's Charlie Fellowes trainee, who has drawn stall seven, will be reopposed by Princess Zahra Aga Khan's TDN Rising Star and Pouliches third Mandanaba (Ghaiyyath), who will emerge from stall 10. Mandanaba will be accompanied by Francis Graffard stablemates Cankoura (Persian King) and G2 Prix Saint-Alary victrix Gezora (Almanzor), who...

Returning to domestic duty after his Far Eastern ventures, last year's King George Hero Goliath (Adlerflug) cruised to a welcome facile win in Sunday's G3 La Coupe at ParisLongchamp. Sauntering to the front from the outset under Christophe Soumillon, the 9-10 favourite only had to stretch inside the last two furlongs to dispatch the filly Grand Stars (Sea The Stars) by 1 3/4 lengths. "We decided not to fight with him and let him be comfortable and when he's like that he's very good," trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said of Resolute...

In-form conditioner Francis Graffard continued on a winning roll at Saint-Cloud Tuesday afternoon and saddled Aga Khan Studs homebred Narissa (Siyouni) to become her sire's 15th TDN Rising Star after she delivered a stunning performance in the seven-furlong Prix Allee d'Amour. Siyouni, himself a Rising Star, boasts a roll of honour which also includes last month's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine  Zarigana. The 3-5 favourite, askew from the gates and careering left at the break, tracked the leaders in fourth before surging forward into a handy third approaching halfway....

Juddmonte's Sunly had looked one to follow when going two-for-two in the Listed Prix de la Seine and stayed on the rise with a smooth win in the G3 Prix de Royaumont at Chantilly on Sunday. Always travelling easily for Christophe Soumillon, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained daughter of Night Of Thunder took control a furlong from home en route to a 2 1/2-length success from Cloth Of Stars's Indalimos. In doing so, the 9-10 favourite was completing a family Group 3 weekend double following the exploits of the sire's equally-exciting Estrange...

The unbeaten Midak will represent the Aga Khan Studs in the G1 Betfred Derby on Saturday, June 7, after connections announced he would be supplemented for the Epsom feature. This year's edition of the race will be run in memory of the late His Highness Aga Khan IV. A homebred, the son of Footstepsinthesand won a maiden on the all-weather at first asking in March and prevailed over turf a month later in a conditions affair both over 2200 metres. He ran out a 2 1/2-length winner of the G3...

Declarations for Sunday's €1.5m G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club were confirmed Thursday morning and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains third Camille Pissarro (Wootton Bassett) will head a field of 18 for the 10 1/2-furlong Chantilly Classic. Last term's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere hero has been allocated stall one and is joined by Aidan O'Brien-trained stablemate and fellow TDN Rising Star Trinity College (Dubawi), who is drawn in stall three. O'Brien's lone victory in the race was provided by St Mark's Basilica (Siyouni), who departed from stall two en route...

Francis Graffard trainee Candelari (Frankel) charted an unusual route to Sunday's G1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at ParisLongchamp and bounced back in style, with Clement Lecoeuvre replacing the suspended Mickael Barzalona in the saddle, after suffering a first reversal in last month's G3 Prix Barbeville. Not only exacting revenge on his Barbeville conquerors Presage Nocturne (Wootton Bassett) and Internaute (Sea The Stars) here, he also put a veritable who's-who of the stayer's division to the sword with a dominant display in this newly elevated 15 1/2-furlong marathon. He had previously collected...

At the end of a week to forget for Kieran Shoemark, the rider who had suffered agony at Newmarket eight days earlier had to endure a second bout as the ParisLongchamp stewards stripped his mount Shes Perfect of G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches glory on Sunday. Connections of the Charlie Fellowes-trained daughter of Sioux Nation were ebullient for a precious few minutes after the photo showed her a nose ahead of the 4-5 favourite Zarigana, but an objection from Mickael Barzalona soon raised the alarm. After deliberation, the officials...

Bringing yet more success to the Francis-Henri Graffard stable in 2025, White Birch Farm's Gezora emulated the 2006 Prix Saint-Alary success of her dam Germance at ParisLongchamp on Sunday. Sent off at 6-1 for the former Group 1 contest, now a level below carrying the sponsors' "Auguste Rodin Coolmore" title, last year's G3 Prix des Reservoirs winner was anchored behind the leading pair early by Mickael Barzalona. Showing the sharpest acceleration of the quartet in the straight, the daughter of Almanzor who had been third behind Mandanaba and Flaming Stone...

Francis Graffard's stable continues its plunder of French stakes contests and the hitherto unbeaten Midak (Footstepsinthesand) made his mark for the yard with a pillar-to-post victory in Friday's G3 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud. The 13-5 second choice, successful in staying contests at Lyon La Soie and Chantilly, asserted for early control after a level break in this black-type debut and held sway throughout. Shaken up when threatened with 500 metres remaining, he was ridden clear approaching the final furlong and kept on relentlessly in the closing stages to easily account...