By Tom Frary
Entering Sunday's G3 Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp with her reputation still sky-high, The Aga Khan's Studs' Zarigana (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) duly emerged with it intact ahead of what could be a big Classic campaign. Remaining calm as she was re-shod before the start, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained grandaughter of Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) travelled strongly but sensibly on the wing off the moderate pace.
Taken into contention with a 10.57 penultimate split, Mickael Barzalona was able to pull the trigger with her momentum at its greatest approaching the furlong pole and the TDN Rising Star responded with a 10.88 last furlong to deny the British raider Shes Perfect (Ire) (Sioux Nation). At the line, the 1-2 favourite had a neck to spare over that plucky peer, with Godspeed (Fr) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) two lengths away in third having finished off faster than Zarigana with a 33.09 final three-furlong sectional.
“There is so much expectation and pressure with this filly, but this job is easy for her mechanically which is not a surprise when you look at her pedigree,” Graffard said of course-and-distance G3 Prix d'Aumale winner who had suffered an unexpected narrow reversal in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac when last seen. “She has a lot of quality and excitement in her, so we need to manage her properly and it is obviously very important to win a group 1 with her.”
“Mickael said that as soon as she saw daylight, she changed gear very strongly but when she got to the front she stopped,” her trainer added. “She needed that mentally big-time. At the moment, she'll stay at a mile for now and obviously head back here for the [G1 Poule d'Essai des] Pouliches, but with maturity later on she could go further.”
Shes Perfect's trainer Charlie Fellowes is looking at taking on the winner again in four weeks. “It was a fantastic run, especially as I think that everything that could go wrong did go wrong,” he said. “We did not intend to lead and I think she did plenty in front, but the way she stuck to the line, put her head out and made a very, very good filly fight was really encouraging.”
“I think we'll probably come back for the French Guineas, I don't see why not,” he added. “She's entered, so we don't have to supplement her or anything like that and I'd take the winner on again. She's very good, but we've been beaten a neck and I think she warrants a trip back here in May.”
Zarigana wins the Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp!🇫🇷
The regally-bred filly shows a lovely turn of foot to put the race to bed for @GraffardRacing and Mikael Barzalona! pic.twitter.com/DQ9Rb6mRos
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 13, 2025
Pedigree Notes
Zarigana is the second foal out of the Listed Prix de Thiberville winner and G1 Prix Vermeille third Zarkamiya (Fr) (Frankel {GB}), one of three black-type performers out of the ground-breaking unbeaten champion Zarkava who after winning the Marcel Boussac arrived here to warm up for a season that included glory in the two fillies' Classics and the Arc. Zarkava's G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud-winning Dubawi-sired son Zarak (Fr) is making a name for himself at the Stud, while another recent flagbearer for this branch is the G1 Prix Ganay runner-up Zarir (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Zarkamiya's 2-year-old filly is by Zarak's sire Dubawi.
Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DE LA GROTTE-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-13, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:40.60, g/s.
1–ZARIGANA (GB), 126, f, 3, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Zarkamiya (Fr) (SW & G1SP-Fr, $144,304), by Frankel (GB)
2nd Dam: Zarkava (Ire), by Zamindar
3rd Dam: Zarkasha (Ire), by Kahyasi (Ire)
TDN Rising Star. O/B-The Aga Khan's Studs (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €40,000. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 4-3-1-0, €186,440. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Shes Perfect (Ire), 126, f, 3, Sioux Nation–Galeaza (GB), by Galileo (Ire).
1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. (€22,000 RNA Wlg '22 GOFNOV; €35,000 Ylg '23 GOFORB; €50,000 2yo '24 ARQMAY). O-Basher Watts Racing 2; B-Denis McDonnell (IRE); T-Charlie Fellowes. €16,000.
3–Godspeed (Fr), 126, f, 3, Hello Youmzain (Fr)–Mary's Precedent (Fr), by Storming Home (GB).
1ST BLACK-TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. (€80,000 Ylg '23 ARQAUG). O-Peter R Bradley III, F & O Hinderze Racing, Ecurie JML Racing; B-Ecurie Haras du Cadran, Ecurie Melanie & S Gilibert (FR); T-Carlos & Yann Lerner. €12,000.
Margins: NK, 2, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.50, 11.00, 13.00.
Also Ran: Tigress Of Gaul (Fr), Safia (Fr), Rosa Salvaje (Ire), Lady Majesty Cen (Fr).
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