Maxime Guyon

Christopher Head trainee and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere runner-up Nighttime (Wootton Bassett) may have hit a bump in the road when sixth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, but he remains firmly on course for next month's G1 Prix Jean Prat after overcoming eight foes in Sunday's G2 Prix Paul de Moussac at ParisLongchamp. "I am so happy because I love to see sons of Wootton Bassett win Group races at Longchamp," the winning trainer reflected after following up last year's success of Maranoa Charlie, who is also a...

Saint-Cloud's Prix Chapeau Rouge maiden had gone the way of subsequent top-level performers Zulu Kingdom (Ten Sovereigns), Alcantor (New Bay) and Arapaho (Lope De Vega) in recent years and Christopher Head trainee Avec Toi (No Nay Never) added his name to an illustrious list with a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, performance in Tuesday's latest renewal of the seven-furlong newcomers' test. Coolmore and Westerberg's Kentucky-bred becomes the 14th Rising Star for his sire. "This is our first two-year-old winner of the year, I think he's a very good colt...

After an uncharacteristically poor Arc run and Ganay defeat at the hands of Daryz, Aventure (Sea The Stars) needed a confidence boost and that came in Sunday's G2 Prix Corrida at ParisLongchamp. Back at the scene of her Prix Vermeille success in September and of her gallant second in the 2024 Arc, the Wertheimers' high-class five-year-old went through the 10 1/2-furlong test with all her familiar gusto taking a lead under Maxime Guyon. Sent on two out, the 11-10 favourite responded with relish to seal the result and by the...

Despite facing what trainer Danny Shum described as the strongest field to go to post for the G1 FWD QEII Cup "for 15 or 20 years", it was a case of business as usual at Sha Tin on Sunday as Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) saw off a formidable international challenge to register a record-extending fourth success in the HK$30-million showpiece on FWD Champions Day. Racing in a clear fourth as last month's Hong Kong Derby second Numbers (Tivaci) led the eight-strong field to the home turn, the strong-travelling Romantic Warrior soon...

By Alan Carasso & Adam Houghton Sunday's Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse attracted each of its four defending champions from 2024, and when the dust had settled on the event, three of those four--Romantic Warrior (Acclamation), Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) and Voyage Bubble (Deep Field)--successfully repeated, each spectacularly in their own way. The fourth of them, Giavellotto (Mastercraftsman), was forced to settle for a gallant second to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe third Sosie (Sea The Stars). "To see a horse in Romantic Warrior...

The connections of the half-dozen European raiders among a field of 11 for Sunday's HK$26-million Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400m) will have been mostly pleased with the outcome of the barrier draw, which was held in the state-of-the-art parade ring at Sha Tin Racecourse Thursday morning. Resolute Racing and Baron Philip Von Ullman's Goliath (Adlerflug) makes a second trip across to Hong Kong in the space of eight months, having finished a disappointing ninth to Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}) at a fairly short price in the G1 FWD QE...

Conditions were desperate at Deauville on Wednesday and while there won't be any prizes handed out for time performances Prince Faisal's homebred filly Sindalah (Dubawi) shaped with promise on her winning debut. Allowed her own way in front under Maxime Guyon in the mile debutantes race for fillies, the Andre Fabre-trained half-sister to the international heavyweight Mishriff (Make Believe) held on to prevail by a head from Flash Girl (The Grey Gatsby). A descendant of the Prix de Diane heroine and stellar broodmare Rafha, the winner returned at 4-1. The Aga Khan Studs...

Lavinia Fabre, daughter of master trainer Andre Fabre, saddled her first winner, with just her second runner, when the two-year-old Wadi (Earthlight) carried the fledgling trainer's silks to a 1 1/2-length victory in Thursday's Prix Pharel over one mile at Saint-Cloud. The half-brother to this term's G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis hero Tornado Alert (Too Darn Hot) made all in the hands of Maxime Guyon to comfortably outpoint Roi De La Liberte (Kingman).   🥇 Premier succès pour Lavinia Fabre en tant qu'entraîneur, elle qui sellait son deuxième partant ! Son entraînement...

Christophe Ferland trainee Double Major (Daiwa Major), who was on the upside of a narrow verdict in last month's G2 Prix Kergorlay, made a successful pitstop and defended his title in Thursday's G3 Prix Gladiateur, remaining on course in his quest to claim an unprecedented third G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud next month. His victory provided owner-breeders Alain and Gerard Wertheimer and rider Maxime Guyon with a clean sweep of ParisLongchamp's three Group races. "This horse is really at his very best during the second part of the season and...

Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's hitherto undefeated Green Spirit (Kingman) made a black-type breakthrough in last month's G3 Prix Six Perfections and provided her owner-breeders, trainer Christopher Head and jockey Maxime Guyon with a quickfire pattern-race double when dominating the closing stages of Thursday's G2 Prix d'Aumale at ParisLongchamp. "She is all class and always does the minimum," reflected Head. "I wasn't worried seeing her race in last as I think, ultimately, she will have to be ridden like that. It was really, or at least it looked like, a perfect...

Not seen since snagging July's Listed Prix Roland de Chambure, Alain and Gerard Wertheimer homebred Nighttime (Wootton Bassett) continued on the upgrade with a first pattern-race triumph in Thursday's G3 Prix La Rochette at ParisLongchamp. "Nighttime confirmed today everything he had shown in his previous starts--quality and class," said Christopher Head. "He has the speed to do well over that distance and Wootton Bassett is an amazing sire. Beforehand, it was the intention to go for the [G1] Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and now, more than ever, we want to go....

Having played bridesmaid in last year's Qatar Prix Vermeille and in the Arc, the Wertheimers' Aventure (Sea The Stars) put matters right in the first of those this time around without any degree of difficulty to earn a merited initial Group 1 victory. So easily was the homebred able to brush aside the Prix de Diane heroine Gezora (Almanzor) under a confident Maxime Guyon on Sunday, the prospect of her going one better in next month's showcase is now distinctively brighter. "She won very well and accelerated really well," trainer...