Saint-Cloud

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday's Observations features a 'TDN Rising Star'. 2.00 Saint-Cloud, Cond, €28,000, 3yo, f, 10 1/2fT WE'LL DEFEND (FR) (Zelzal {Fr}) carries the TDN Rising Star label into this Prix de Diane pointer, having impressed with her four-length success on Chantilly's Polytrack last month. Victorious Racing and Ecurie Nass's half-sister...

Francis-Henri Graffard can do no wrong at present and his irresistible run continued into the early Classic trials as Tajlina (GB) (Kingman {GB}) struck in Saturday's G3 Prix Penelope. A seven-length winner at Chantilly in mid-October before flopping in the Listed Prix Isonomy later that month, the Al Asayl homebred was slowly away for Mickael Barzalona after rearing in the stalls ahead of the 10 1/2-furlong Saint-Cloud prep. Staying on strongly in the style of her high-class dam Bateel (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the 9-5 favourite asserted inside the final furlong...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features the return of a Group 1 runner-up. 3.15 Kempton, Listed, £55,000, 4yo/up, f/m, 8f (AWT) SHUWARI (IRE) (New Bay {GB}) makes her belated comeback in this Listed Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes, having missed the whole of last season. One of 2023's better juvenile fillies, the Ollie Sangster-trained...

Sottsass (Fr) had two deeply promising fillies in Saint-Cloud's Prix Kizil Kourgan on Tuesday and despite his Ultrafragola (Ire) starting favourite it was the other daughter Safia (Fr) who emerged best to earn TDN Rising Star status. Carrying the colours of racing and breeding's rising force David Layani, the Fabrice Chappet-trained descendant of Sophisticat (Storm Cat) and Serena's Song (Rahy) travelled easily throughout the mile Classic pointer under Cristian Demuro and readily held White Birch Farm's TDN Rising Star Ultrafragola by two lengths. Chappet was pointing to the May 11...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features a pair of 'TDN Rising Stars' returning from long absences. 2.30 Saint-Cloud, Cond, €28,000, 3yo, c/g, 8fT GUN OF BRIXTON (FR) (Frankel {GB}) was one of the 2024 cast of TDN Rising Stars after his win at Clairefontaine in July and so this first subsequent outing...

Multiple group winner Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) pleased his connections with a strong gallop at Saint-Cloud on Thursday, according to trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. The Aga Khan runner is pointing toward the $6-million G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Apr. 5. "All winter we decided he was a horse for the Sheema Classic," the trainer told Dubai Racing Club. "Unfortunately we have trial races at Chantilly on the polytrack and the difference between the two races was too big and I would have had to rush him coming out of...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Observations include a colt out of G1 Oaks heroine Qualify. 12.48 Saint-Cloud, Mdn, €50,000, unraced 2yo, c/g, 7 1/2fT Godolphin's CUALIFICAR (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), is an Andre Fabre-trained son of G1 Oaks heroine Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and thus kin to this year's G3 Jebel...

Relishing the heavy ground at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, the Wertheimers' Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}--Dancequest {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) successfully defended his crown in the feature G1 Prix Royal-Oak. Tracking the leader Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) from the break, the 13-2 shot was committed by Maxime Guyon with 300 metres remaining and stayed on strongly to deny the 23-10 favourite Sevenna's Knight (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths, with Trueshan a head away in third. "I am very proud of him," trainer Christophe Ferland said. "Last year, we...

In the kind of fascinating group 1 encounter that the preceding Criterium de Saint-Cloud definitely was not, Ballydoyle and Wootton Bassett (GB) were the main stories again at the culmination of Sunday's Criterium International. Ryan Moore had picked last Saturday's impressive Leopardstown maiden-winning TDN Rising Star Twain (Ire) over the stable's Arqana Series Criterium d'Automne winner Mount Kilimanjaro (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and his judgement proved spot-on once more as the son of Wading (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) emerged with the Rosegreen bragging rights to stamp himself as a genuine Classic candidate for...

There are a trio of elite-level contests at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, with the Criterium International boasting arguably the most exciting protagonist in Maranoa Charlie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who looks to cap an unbeaten juvenile campaign. Having won his first three starts by a cumulative margin of nearly 20 lengths, including the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon over this mile trip and track earlier this month, Peter Maher, Carl Fitzgerald and John Baxter's TDN Rising Star is all substance and little hype as he faces his sternest test to date taken...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a half-brother to The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}). 2.30 Saint-Cloud, Debutantes, €30,000, 2yo, c/g, 7 1/2fT AZIMPOUR (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) starts out for the Aga Khan and Francis-Henri Graffard stable and is a half-brother to Redoute's Choice's multiple group 1-winning sire The Autumn Sun...

Saturday evening's Arqana Arc Sale is always a boutique affair, and Sumbe's Ramadan (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) went the way of Vin Cox signing for Lion Rock Bloodstock's Ben Kwok of Hong Kong for €1.5 million to top the sale at Saint-Cloud. He was one of four seven-figure lots to sell among the 40 offered with the gross passing the €10-million mark for the first time. Consigned by Christopher Head, the bay son of Raushan (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) (lot 41) and half-brother to G3 Hoppings Stakes second Rasima (GB) (Iffraaj...