By Adam Houghton
Back in competitive action for the first time since being crowned Longines World's Best Racehorses for 2025, Calandagan (Gleaneagles) signalled that he won't be giving up his crown without a fight when reeling in longshot West Wind Blows (Teofilo) to avenge last year's defeat in the $6-million G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Saturday.
Runner-up to Danon Decile (Epiphaneia) 12 months ago, Calandagan was a warm order to go one place better in this six-strong field and register a fifth consecutive Group 1 success for Francis-Henri Graffard and the Aga Khan Studs.
Taking up his customary position towards the rear of the field, with only last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Ethical Diamond (Awtaad) behind him, Calandagan forfeited a significant advantage to West Wind Blows as that one raced with enthusiasm at the head of affairs. It briefly looked like a shock might be on the cards, with West Wind Blows certainly not stopping in front under a well-judged ride from Rossa Ryan. However, Calandagan simply would not be denied as Mickael Barzalona conjured a sustained run from the fan favourite, who ultimately won a shade cosily by 3/4-of-a-length, clocking a final time of 2:27.88. Giavellotto (Mastercraftsman) was 3 1/2 lengths further back in third for Marco Botti, with Ethical Diamond only fifth.
“I'm relieved,” Graffard said of his overriding emotion in the aftermath. “The winter was long, he's a world champion now and has a big reputation, so we just needed to start and get the season going. It was a big race today and it's always hard to have a horse completely ready for a race like that. I said to Mickael that he might need the race. It was tactical and painful to watch, but he's a champion.
“Mickael and him get on well now but, during the race, he was a little on and off the bridle. On the last bend he was asking him to go. I think he needed the run and to get going, but it is now five Group 1s in a row and he's a real champion, so I'm glad that Princess Zahra decided to start the season here.”
Calandagan hasn't looked back since following last year's Sheema Classic defeat with another runner-up finish in the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom. From there he rattled off four consecutive top-level victories in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Champion Stakes and Japan Cup. Earlier on the card, the strength of his form was advertised by Champion Stakes runner-up Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), a smooth winner of the G1 Dubai Turf.
The Sheema Classic is a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Turf, which takes place this year at Keeneland on October 31. Graffard confirmed that the $5-million Turf would be among a number of international targets considered as his stable star is tasked with trying to maintain his remarkable winning streak in 2026.
“He's important for the sport and a flagship horse, so we won't be afraid to travel,” Graffard added. “The Breeders' Cup could be an option, and I don't see why not, but it might depend if we go back for the Japan Cup again. They are very hard races to win and American tracks are quite tight, so it might not really suit his abilities.
“The Cox Plate could be a possible, especially this year at Flemington, which is a big galloping track. But we don't want to be too greedy and we need to think about it and respect the horse. I said to Princess Zahra, 'I hope your passport is okay!' Because we are going to travel.”
Princess Zahra Aga Khan, meanwhile, was thinking closer to home, at least in the short term, when asked to give her thoughts on what the future might hold for Calandagan.
“I think we might go home for a while, because the rest of us are exhausted, let alone the horse,” she said. “I think we might take a bit of a breather and stay in Europe at the start of the summer. Then, we'll see.”
On the drama of watching the Sheema Classic unfold, Princess Zahra added, “It was terrifying! They went slow, but Mickael has been riding him like that for two years, so we weren't terrified until the final turn. He has an amazing stride, an amazing motor and a will to win. You can always tell with him, the last few strides, that he puts his entire soul into it. It's amazing to watch.”
Whilst this was a first triumph in Dubai for French native Graffard, it was anything but for his World Cup-winning countryman Barzalona, a regular in the Middle East from his years riding for Godolphin.
“He's an incredible horse,” the jockey said of his first Sheema Classic winner. “He's got his own attitude. I know him very well now and he always gives plenty in the end. I just need to trust him. That's all that jockeys dream about, to find this kind of incredible horse. I'm very glad and very grateful for the opportunity to be part of this team as well.”
The seven-year-old West Wind Blows, who was named a 'TDN Rising Star' back in 2022, was one of several horses trained by Simon and Ed Crisford to run out of their skin on Saturday's card, along with G2 Dubai Gold Cup heroine Fairy Glen (Farhh), G1 Dubai Turf runner-up Quddwah (Kingman) and G1 Dubai World Cup third Meydaan (Frankel). This was his third runner-up finish at the top level, following his previous near misses in the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup when campaigned in Australia in 2023.
Pedigree Notes
Calandagan is one of four winners from as many runners out of the G3 Prix Minerve second Calayana (Sinndar), with the others including the G3 Prix Belle de Nuit third Calamandra (New Bay), along with the three-year-old filly Calasita (Zarak), the winner of a maiden at Saint-Cloud earlier in the week. From the family of Danehill's Poule d'Essai des Poulains-winning sire Clodovil and the GI Belmont Derby Invitational runner-up Canndal (Medicean), Calayana also has a two-year-old filly by Palace Pier.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
LONGINES DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC-G1, $6,000,000, Meydan, 3-28, 3yo/up, 12f 11yT, 2:27.88, gd.
1–CALANDAGAN (IRE), 126, g, 5, by Gleneagles (Ire)
1st Dam: Calayana (Fr) (GSP-Fr), by Sinndar (Ire)
2nd Dam: Clariyn (Fr), by Acclamation (GB)
3rd Dam: Clodovina (Ire), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire)
O/B-Aga Khan Studs; T-Francis Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona.
$3,480,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. Older Horse-Fr & Eng
at 11-14f, Hwt. Older Horse-Eng at 9 1/2-11f, MG1SW-Eng,
G1SW-Fr, G1SW-Jpn, 15-9-5-1, $11,544,772. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–West Wind Blows (Ire), 126, g, 7, Teofilo (Ire)–West Wind
(GB), by Machiavellian. 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Abdulla Al
Mansoori; B-Godolphin; T-Simon & Ed Crisford. $1,200,000.
3–Giavellotto (Ire), 126, h, 7, Mastercraftsman (Ire)–Gerika (Fr),
by Galileo (Ire). O-Scuderia La Tesa Ltd & Vaibhav Shah;
B-Societa Agricola La Tesa SRL; T-Marco Botti. $600,000.
Margins: 3/4, 3HF, 1 3/4.
Also Ran: Royal Power (Fr), Ethical Diamond (Ire), By The Book (Ire). Click for the ERA chart. VIDEO.
What a star! 🤩
Calandagan mows them down in the Dubai Sheema Classic! 🏆@GraffardRacing | @AgaKhanStuds pic.twitter.com/Hr687V8YX5
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 28, 2026
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