Mickael Barzalona

Having celebrated a maiden-breaking victory in the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs Dec. 23, MIMI KAKUSHI (f, 3, City of Light--Rite Moment, by Vicar) ran out a convincing 4 1/2-length winner of Friday's $150,000 Listed UAE 1000 Guineas at Meydan. The bay, fourth in her first two trips to the races over sprint distances in November and early December, jumped well enough for Mickael Barzalona, but was beaten for speed by Awasef (Cairo Prince) to the outside and was ultimately eased back and into the two path to...

First job in the Thoroughbred industry? Actually, my first job in the Thoroughbred industry is my current one, manager of our racing operation. Biggest influence on your career? Without hesitation, my dad from the beginning. I have a very high regard for him, and for what he has done. He is a self-made man. Favourite racehorse of all time, and why? Miesque, she had everything. A magnificent racehorse with a sturdy character, and in addition, she was a wonderful mare. Who will be champion first-season sire in 2023? Ten Sovereigns....

Coronavirus dictated that it wasn't exactly business at usual at Happy Valley Racecourse for the staging of Wednesday's Longines International Jockeys' Championship. But there was a return to at least some semblance of normalcy, as a crowd of about 11,000 fans filed into the stands and into the beer garden to watch Silvestre de Sousa finish level with Tom Marquand to cause a dead heat for just the third time in the history of the event. The duo shared HK$700,000 (£73,544) in prize money. COVID-19 had already resulted original IJC...

Philippe Sogorb trainee Fancy Me (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}--Besotted {Ire}, by Dutch Art {GB}), who ran fourth in July's Listed Criterium du Bequet at Tarbes, posted a runner-up finish in a seven-furlong conditions heat at Toulouse last month and stepped forward to claim a career high upped to one mile in Tuesday's G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville. The 93-10 chance raced second through the early strides, but was shuffled back to track the leaders in fourth by halfway. Rowed along to reduced arrears off the home turn, she regained second...

Nurlan Bizakov's 250,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}--Futoon {Ire}, by Kodiac {GB}) ran third to Roger Varian-trained stablemate Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in last month's G2 Mill Reef S. and continued his progression with a career high in Saturday's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly. He had earlier followed up an Aug. 7 debut triumph at Haydock with a narrow defeat at Newmarket in his penultimate start later that month. The eventual winner was sent forward from an early fifth to track the leaders in...

Al Shaqab Racing's Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}--Traffic Jam {Ire}, by Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), off the track since failing to land a blow in Chantilly's June 19 G1 Prix de Diane, exacted revenge on that Classic's winner, 'TDN Rising Star' Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), with a late rush to secure a career high in the flickering embers of Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines at ParisLongchamp. The €260,000 Arqana August graduate had earlier annexed Saint-Cloud's Apr. 29 G3 Prix Cleopatre before taking second behind another 'TDN...

Andre Fabre had only outsiders in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but Sunday's ParisLongchamp fixture's opener was a reminder that the general is still very much in the thick of it as Belbek (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) captured the G1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Upstaged twice since his success in Chantilly's G3 Prix du Bois June 19 when fourth behind Blackbeard (Ire) (No Nay Never) in that track's G2 Prix Robert Papin July 17 and when fifth to this race's absentee The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in...

Amo Racing And Omnihorse Racing's Lady Hollywood (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) had failed to see out the six furlongs of York's G2 Lowther S. when down the field last time Aug. 18, but back over five she was able to dominate ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix d'Arenberg on Thursday. Racing close to the early pace under Mickael Barzalona, the 4-1 shot was committed passing the two-furlong pole and led soon after en route to a 1 1/4-length verdict over Vicious Harry (Fr) (Harry Angel {Ire}). "She's a very fast filly," trainer Alice Haynes...

Godolphin's homebred 4-year-old gelding Botanik (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}--Autumn Lily, by Street Cry {Ire}) took his record to six wins from 11 starts when annexing this month's G3 Prix de Reux going 12 1/2 furlongs at Deauville and doubled his stakes tally with a decisive victory in Sunday's G2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville over the same strip back on the Normandy coast. The 2020 G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud runner-up had been on the fringes during a sophomore campaign, which yielded two wins from three starts last term, and...

Manhattan Jungle (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}--Skylight {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) annexed a five-furlong newcomers' heat at Chantilly in her Apr. 13 unveiling and doubled up, at the expense of the reopposing subsequent winner Sabya (Fr) (Pedro The Great), over the same distance at Lyon Parilly in her Apr. 26 return last time. Breaking sharply to race on the front end from flagfall in this black-type debut, she went clear when asked to stretch soon after passing the two pole and was pushed out in the closing stages to easily hold...

Off the mark over nine furlongs at Fontainebleau Apr. 12, Al Shaqab Racing and Ballylinch Stud's Place du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) came through her first major test in style to annexe Friday's G3 Prix Cleopatre at Saint-Cloud. Bred to appreciate at least this 10 1/2-furlong trip, being out of the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris winner Traffic Jam (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), the Andre Fabre trainee was held up in last early in contrast to her last outing when she was sent forward from the...

Team Calas' 3-year-old colt Rock Boy (Fr) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), unbeaten in juvenile starts over a mile at Vichy and nine furlongs at Marseille-Borely last year, maintained his perfect record in Thursday's G3 Prix Djebel at Deauville and went by all six rivals inside the final quarter mile for a career high in the seven-furlong 2000 Guineas trial. Patiently ridden and settled at the tail of the field through halfway, the 15-2 chance inched closer when encouraged forward passing the two pole and kept on strongly under a drive...