ParisLongchamp

Aventure
'She's Back': Ferland Buoyed By Aventure's Corrida Success

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...

[ Read More ]
Varandir
Unbeaten Varandir Takes The Hocquart For The Aga Khan Studs

Entered in all the big ones in France, Varandir (Zarak) stayed on track when extending his perfect record to three-from-three for The Aga Khan Studs in Sunday's G3 Prix Hocquart at ParisLongchamp. Held up in rear early by Mickael Barzalona, the even-money favourite who had won here on debut and at Lyon-Parilly last month stayed on down the outer to lead inside the final half furlong and score by 1 1/4 lengths from Jabracadabra (Cracksman), with a head back to Wiki (Make Believe) in third. From the family of the...

[ Read More ]
'We Are in Survival Mode': France Galop Launches Fightback in Wake of Finance Cuts

To the casual observer at Longchamp on Thursday evening there would not have appeared to be too much wrong with French racing. A lively, sell-out crowd of 10,000 was on course for two reasons: top-class horse racing and an after-party which shimmered through to the small hours while the Eiffel Tower sparkled in the distance.  The 'JeuXdi' initiative of post-racing DJ sets is not new. For some years now Thursday nights at France's flagship track have been filled with young revellers. The difference this week was that for the first...

[ Read More ]
Daryz's Relative Caballo De Mar Edges Vicomtesse Vigier Thriller

Back at the scene of his landmark success in the marathon G1 Prix du Cadran on Arc weekend, Victorious Forever's Caballo De Mar (Phoenix Of Spain) proved the chief slugger of ParisLongchamp once again as he prevailed in a blanket finish to Thursday's G1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier. On an evening designed to pay tribute to the late Aga Khan IV and which had already provided the perfect outcome via Daryz in the feature renamed in his honour, Caballo De Mar was providing the icing on the cake hailing from the...

[ Read More ]
Lazzat
Lazzat Back In The Winning Groove At ParisLongchamp

Badly in need of a confidence boost ahead of Royal Ascot, Wathnan's Lazzat (Territories) got just that in Thursday's G3 Prix du Palais-Royal at ParisLongchamp. Sent off the 30-100 favourite for the seven-furlong contest, the five-year-old who had endured five consecutive reversals since his epic defeat of Satono Reve in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in June was launched by Mickael Barzalona 300 metres out and coaxed clear for a smooth 4 1/2-length success. Silius (Dubawi) was second, with the outsider Rencontre Sportive (Seabhac) another 1 1/4 lengths away...

[ Read More ]
'The Complete Horse': Princess Zahra Hails Dominant Daryz

If there was any tension from the Aga Khan Studs team ahead of the latest expedition of Daryz (Sea The Stars) on Thursday, it quickly melted away as the Arc-winning sensation breezed through the renamed G1 Prix Aga Khan IV. Making light work of the inaugural running of ParisLongchamp's extended nine-furlong Prix d'Ispahan under its revised title honouring the remarkable legacy of the winner's late breeder, the 1-5 favourite who could yet turn out to be one of the very finest produced by the operation brushed aside last year's Grand...

[ Read More ]
Diamond Necklace
First Classic For St Mark's Basilica As Diamond Necklace Shines

Staged in relentless driving rain, Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches offered a dramatic backdrop to the continued rise of Ballydoyle's brilliant Diamond Necklace who provided St Mark's Basilica with his first Classic. Sent off the 4-5 favourite returning to the ParisLongchamp track over which she had dominated the Prix Marcel Boussac in the autumn, the regally-bred TDN Rising Star tracked the early pace under cover before being sent down to the rail at the straight's cutaway. Surging to the front 300 metres from the finish, she was kept up...

[ Read More ]
Unbeaten Lapotheose In Surprise Saint Alary Win

Sunday's G2 Camille Pissarro Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary looked as strong a renewal as there has been in recent years and despite her odds, there was no fluke in the success of Lapotheose (Wootton Bassett). Kept to the provinces before this acid test, Riviera Equine and Maurice Lagasse's homebred had come from a narrow win in the Listed Prix Caravelle at Toulouse last month, where she had extended her unbeaten tally but was in considerably deeper here. Held up in rear early by Alexis Pouchin as Baccari Racing Stable's Concorde Agreement...

[ Read More ]
Erdenali
Erdenali Takes The Next Step

4.38 ParisLongchamp, Cond, 3yo, 8fT ERDENALI (FR) (Caravaggio) created a stir on debut in the omnipresent Aga Khan Studs silks when winning by 6 1/2 lengths without turning a hair at Saint-Cloud in March, earning TDN Rising Star status as a result and he puts that on the line here against experienced rivals. They include the Wertheimers' dual Listed-placed Focus (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), an Andre Fabre-trained relative of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Queen's Jewel (Pivotal), so we should know a little more about the merit of the Francis Graffard-trained...

[ Read More ]
Hardwicke Target For Wathnan's Best Secret After Paris Romp

In the space of two and a half minutes at a rain-soaked ParisLongchamp, Wathnan's Best Secret (Persian King) became the operation's worst kept secret as he produced an impressive display to take the G3 Prix d'Hedouville. Sporting the second colours in the mile-and-a-half test with the ultimately disappointing Map Of Stars (Sea The Stars) also in attendance, the Stephane Wattel-trained four-year-old who registered a win in a valuable handicap at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in July and beat the well-regarded Gethin in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix Turenne in September was held...

[ Read More ]
Sea The Moon's Behrayna Gives Graffard A Classic Quandary

One of two entered in the Oaks by Francis Graffard along with the talented Gilded Prize, Behrayna (Sea The Moon) made light work of her first serious task in Sunday's Listed Prix de la Seine at ParisLongchamp. Off the mark over 10 1/2 furlongs here last month, the Aga Khan Studs homebred who descends from Mill Reef's 1989 Prix Saint-Alary winner and Arc runner-up Behera shadowed the early leader of this 11-furlong test. Swooping two out, the 3-5 favourite drew away under Mickael Barzalona to score with authority by 2...

[ Read More ]
'He Is Truly Exceptional': Graffard And Paris Dazzled By Brilliant Daryz

Any fears that Daryz (Sea The Stars) might need his reintroduction in Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay proved wide of the mark as the Arc hero served notice of what is to come in 2026 with a scintillating display. Sent off the 7-10 favourite for the 10 1/2-furlong ParisLongchamp feature, the son of Daryakana (Selkirk) cruised through the contest with Mickael Barzalona happy to wait behind the leading pair. Set alight inside the two, the homebred surged to a 3 1/2-length success from the race-fit Bright Picture (Intello). There was another 1 3/4...

[ Read More ]
X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.