Cristian Demuro

Jean-Claude Rouget trainee Zelda (Fr) (Zaelzal {Fr}) became the first black-type winner for her Haras de Bouquetot-based freshman sire (by Sea the Stars {Ire}) with a pillar-to-post victory by two lengths in Saturday's Listed Prix Saraca at Chantilly. Zelda bagged a July 9 debut score going six furlongs in a Saint-Cloud newcomers' heat and doubled up over seven in an Aug. 4 conditions heat at Clairefontaine, but finished last of six tackling the latter trip in ParisLongchamp's Sept. 5 G3 Prix La Rochette last time. Breaking sharply from the outside...

Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud's hitherto unraced Gran Sabana (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) went largely unconsidered as a 20-1 chance for Friday's Prix de Toutevoie, a one-mile newcomers' test for juvenile fillies, at Chantilly and made a mockery of her long odds with a devastating burst to attain 'TDN Rising Stardom' on debut. The eventual winner was patiently ridden through halfway and raced off the tempo in rear until turning for home. Rowed along to close approaching the quarter-mile marker, she displayed an impressive turn of foot to move into...

It's been quite a while since El Condor Pasa (Kingmambo), Deep Impact (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) and Orfevre (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) strutted their stuff around the Bois de Boulogne and Japan has a new globetrotter to laud after Shinji Maeda's Deep Bond (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) rolled back the years and made all to win Sunday's G2 Qatar Prix Foy at ParisLongchamp. Last year's G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai and this year's G2 Hanshin Daishoten winner, who ran second in May's G1 Tenno Sho in his most recent start, was the sharpest...

Capping Deauville's August festival on Sunday, Haras de Saint Pair's Glycon (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) justified 9-10 favouritism to prove a popular winner of the feature G2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville. Asked to go beyond a mile and a quarter for the first time when taking the G3 Prix de Reux over this track and 12 1/2-furlong trip on his latest outing Aug. 8, the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained homebred was patiently ridden in rear early by Cristian Demuro. Launched to take command 300 metres from the finish, the 9-10...

Shadwell's 4-year-old distaffer Raabihah (Sea the Stars {Ire}), unsuccessful in five outings since annexing last term's G3 Prix de Psyche at Deauville, rebounded off three second-place efforts this year and produced a telling burst at the end of Sunday's G2 Darley Prix de Pomone to register an impressive score upon her return to the Normandy venue. The contest was delayed by an excessive hold in the gates while a replacement battery was installed a failed break and the homebred chestnut was positioned in a stalking fourth for the most part....

Deauville's G1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet has a habit of producing shock winners and there was another to add to the list on Sunday as Grand Glory (GB) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) got up late to deny last year's heroine Audarya (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in a thriller. Last seen enjoying a confidence-boosting success in the July 21 G3 Grand Prix de Vichy, Albert Frassetto, John d'Amato and Mike Pietrangelo's G3 Prix de Flore and Listed Prix Zarkava winner who was third in the 2019 G1 Prix de Diane was anchored...

Following on from a flurry of Rising Star awards in Ireland and Stateside overnight, Al Shaqab Racing's 2-year-old colt Good Too (Fr) (Ectot {GB}) joined the esteemed ranks with an impressive performance in Sunday's Prix de Montaigu at Deauville. Steadied off the pace in fifth after a sharp getaway in this one-mile newcomers' test, the 17-10 favourite made eyecatching headway on the bridle in the straight to challenge out wide with 300 metres remaining and displayed an impressive turn of foot once taking control at the furlong marker to easily...

Carrying Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani's second strip for Tuesday's Prix Le Cyrano at Deauville, 2-year-old filly Osmose (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) was very much the lead violin coming home and powered to 'TDN Rising Stardom' with a taking performance in the 6 1/2-furlong debutantes' heat. The well-backed 2-1 favourite was sharply into stride and stalked the pace in third through halfway. Looming large full of run passing the quarter-mile marker, she seized control with 300 metres remaining and powered clear in hand inside the final furlong to easily outpoint...

Entering Sunday's G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches with plenty of black-type experience but without a win in that sphere, Abdullah bin Fahad Al Attiyah's Coeursamba (Fr) (The Wow Signal {Ire}) was just saving her best for the big time as Cristian Demuro launched her to overhaul Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in a thriller. Prepping for this ParisLongchamp Classic with a third placing in a course-and-distance conditions event Apr. 22, the bay whose best 2-year-old form had involved third placings in the G3 Prix Six Perfections at Deauville in...

It was a home success in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as Peter Brant's Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) realised his owner's longtime dream when providing him and Jean-Claude Rouget with a first renewal of the showpiece as Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) failed to fire in sixth. Third in 2019, last year's G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero--who holds the record time in that Classic since the race was shortened to 10 1/2 furlongs in 2005--had stayed slightly under the radar as he was geared towards his second...

Fresh from victory in last month's Listed Criterium du Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage going one mile at Deauville, His Highness The Aga Khan's Makaloun (Fr) (Bated Breath {GB}) was in no mood to relinquish his perfect record and dominated all seven rivals in Monday lunchtime's G3 Prix de Conde at Chantilly. He had debuted with a June 12 seven-furlong tally at Toulouse and doubled up over the same trip in a July 15 conditions heat at Mont-de-Marsan in his penultimate start. Breaking well to lead after the initial strides of...

Claudio Marzocco, Bernard Benaych and Jean-Claude Rouget's Port Guillaume (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) lost his unbeaten tag when a never-nearer fifth in Chantilly's July 5 G1 Prix du Jockey Club and bounced back in style, racing in the Marzocco silks, to annex Saturday's G2 Prix Hocquart Longines at Deauville. Unraced as a juvenile, he was an early riser this term with victories at Cagnes-sur-Mer in January and February and continued in similar vein post-lockdown with a May 12 Saint-Cloud conditions success before suffering his lone reversal last month. On the...