Chantilly

Making every yard in Monday's G3 Prix Sigy at Chantilly, Amo Racing and Giselle De Aguiar's battle-hardened Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev) proved too tough and classy for a fascinating cast. Dropping back to 5 1/2 furlongs having finished a game third to Henri Matisse (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in Leopardstown's seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes, the 10-3 shot was out of reach as the 9-5 favourite Polyvega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) encountered traffic attempting to come from behind. At the line, the Adrian Murray-trained G3 Marble...

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. Monday's Observations features an interesting newcomer for Christopher Head. 2.30 Chantilly, Mdn, €30,000, 2yo, 5fT NO TUNE (GB) (No Nay Never) catches the eye as a Wertheimer-bred half-sister to the GI United Nations Stakes hero Adhamo (Ire) (Intello {Ger}). Introduced by Christopher Head, the relative of the sire Attendu...

Monday, Chantilly, France, post time: 16:15, PRIX SIGY-G3, €80,000, 3yo, 5 1/2fT Field: Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev), Estepona (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), Mehmist (Fr) (Mehmas {Ire}), The Strikin Viking (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}), King Of Light (GB) (Mehmas {Ire}), Rayevka (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Une Pointure (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}), Miss Lamai (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), Apollo Fountain (GB) (No Nay Never) and Polyvega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). TDN Verdict: TDN Rising Star Polyvega was smart last year for Carlos Laffon-Parias, but she looks to have taken a leap forward...

Making the move from France to the States for new connections, Al Jafara (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) rewarded their patience with a 'TDN Rising Star' effort against allowance foes at Keeneland. Fourth against allowance company on unveiling at Chantilly for owner Mansour Aguel and trainer Hedi Ghabri, she returned nine days later at the venue to take on maidens going 1 1/8-miles. She relished the extra real estate and graduated from that condition by 1 1/4 lengths Sept. 16. Entered into Arqana's Arc sale set for last October, she changed hands...

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 son of a Group 1 winner. 14.12 Chantilly, €27,000, Mdn, 3yo, 6fT Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani's hitherto unraced HAWKEYE (FR) (Siyouni {Ire}), is a Francis Graffard-trained son of G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine and G1 Prix Morny runner-up Vorda (Fr) (Orpen), herself a...

Sporting the Aga Khan silks so synonymous with the French Classics, the G1 Prix de Diane entry Cankoura (Fr) (Persian King {Ire}--Candarliya {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) came home alone on her 3-year-old bow at Chantilly on Monday to offer an early shot across the bows ahead of the 2025 renewal of that 10 1/2-furlong feature. Kept to the Polytrack surface and 9 1/2-furlong trip over which she had opened her account here in December, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained grey sauntered around the bends of the track which will host the Classic...

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 features a daughter of a Grade I winner. 14.29 Chantilly, Mdn, €27,000, unraced 3yo, f, 8f (AWT) Godolphin newcomer ILDA ROSA (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is a homebred daughter of GI Man O' War Stakes heroine Zhukova (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and thus a half-sister...

The arrival of March has ushered in an exciting new training partnership in Chantilly with Nicolas Clement, one of the most respected members of the French training ranks, teaming up with Dutch-born Frauke Hermans. Widely known by the nickname Flo, Hermans, 30, has been Clement's assistant for the past five seasons, having previously worked in various English stables, including for Roger Varian in Newmarket, and also in Dubai.  "It has always been my dream to train so Nicolas pushed me to get my trainer's licence and to get started," she...

There was a hint of Spring despite the expected February cold at Chantilly on Friday and also a sign of the initial shoots of the upcoming Flat season with some big operations represented on the course's Polytrack. Among them was George Strawbridge's homebred Kryon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--Darkova, by Maria's Mon), a Victoria Head-trained half-brother to Wootton Bassett's champion Almanzor (Fr) who made his 3-year-old bow a relatively impressive one in the colts' division of the fixture's pair of 9 1/2-furlong maidens. Not seen since finishing third on his...

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 daughter of dual Group 1 winner Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}). 3.10 Chantilly, Mdn, €27,000, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f (AWT) WHY NOT AGAIN (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) is the meeting's most significant debutante as the first foal out of the G1 Coronation Stakes and G1...

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 returning €700,000 yearling graduate. 2.12 Chantilly, Cond, €28,000, 3yo, 8f (AWT) TIGRESS OF GAUL (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}), the €700,000 joint-second highest-priced filly at last year's Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale, comes back to the course and distance of her impressive winning debut. Jose Aguirre-Moreno and...

For the second week in a row we start in France and on the polytrack at Chantilly, the scene of not one but two sizzling debut performances on Friday's card. The two newcomers blitzed their rivals by a cumulative margin of 11 lengths, with the four-length victory of Audubon Park (Fr) quickly being put in the shade by that of Tito Mo Cen (Ire) when he won the boys' equivalent race by nearly twice as far. The time clocked by the latter was also around 1.4 seconds faster as he...