Marie Velon

The 14 participants for the 2026 International Jockeys' Challenge in Riyadh during the Saudi Cup meeting, were revealed on Wednesday. Featuring 14 jockeys, seven men and seven women, the four-race contest sees the return of last year's champion, local rider Mohammed Aldaham. Mickael Barzalona, the regular rider of the Longines World's Highest Rated Racehorse Calandagan (Gleneagles) is signed on, as is 2025 Irish Champion Jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle. Panama's Luis Morales is based in Saudi Arabia alongside Aldaham. Other male jockeys set to mark their mark on the contest include:...

Ascot's Qipco British Champions Day took its final shape on Thursday morning, with the middle-distance heavyweights Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) heading a 12-strong cast for Saturday's £1.3-million G1 Qipco Champion Stakes. Isa Salman Al Khalifa's G1 Irish Champion Stakes winner and The Aga Khan's G1 Juddmonte International runner-up are joined by the G1 Irish Derby third Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), one of two for Ballydoyle, and another French raider in Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) who gives to provide Marie Velon with a...

French jockey Marie Velon is counting down the days until her return to Ascot on Saturday when she reunites with her beloved Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) in a red-hot edition of the G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes, with top-class three-year-olds Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) featuring among the likely opposition. Trained by Jean-Pierre Gauvin, Iresine provided his rider with a landmark success in October 2022 when winning the Prix Royal-Oak, the first Group 1 victory of Velon's career. The pair struck again last year in...

When the dust settled at Ascot on Saturday, the Ladies Team had eked out a victory in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup for a fifth time since a female team was first introduced in 2012. Consisting of Hayley Turner, who had earned her third Alistair Haggis Silver Saddle Award, Marie Velon, and Joanna Mason, the Ladies Team edged Team Europe 71 points to 60. Team Rest of the World was third with 58 points and Team Great Britain/Ireland finished fourth on 55 points. Turner and Mason ran one-two aboard...

Multiple Classic winner Seamie Heffernan, Royal Ascot-winning teenager Billy Loughnane and French Group 1 scorer Marie Vélon are among the 12 jockeys today confirmed to ride in Saturday's Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot. Nine countries will be represented across the four teams, while new ground is broken this year with an equal number of male and female jockeys for the first time in the history of the Shergar Cup. Vélon, the first French female jockey to win a French Group 1 race with her victory in the 2022...

Ballyhane Stud resident Sands Of Mali (Fr) (Panis) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Florian Guyader-trained daughter Hide The Evidence (Ire) shed maiden status with a two-length debut win over five furlongs in Monday's Prix du Medoc at Bordeaux. Bred by Joe Foley's Ballyhane Stud, Hide The Evidence fetched €10,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale when knocked down to Con Marnane. Racing in the colours of Marnane's daughters Amy and Olivia, the filly could be Royal Ascot bound, according to connections. Con...

David Menuisier, fresh off the Group 1 victory of Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) in this week's Criterium International, remains on the crest of a wave and, having combined with Marie Velon to snag the Chantilly undercard's Listed Prix Isonomy earlier on Friday, legged up the rider once more to complete an afternoon black-type double with Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}--Tres Magnifique {Fr}, by Zoffany {Ire}) in the G3 Prix Miesque. The March-foaled bay hit the board going an extended seven furlongs at Ffos Las in her Sept. 14 debut and...

It was harder work than expected, but Bertrand Milliere's leading veteran Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) ultimately made his class tell in Sunday's G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris. Held up with two behind early, the 11-10 favourite looked momentarily in trouble two out as Marie Velon asked him to close on the leaders. Staying on gamely in response, the G1 Prix Royal Oak and G1 Prix Ganay winner got to Marquisat (Ire) (Zarak {Fr}) a furlong later before asserting to score by a length. Trainer Jean Pierre Gauvin revealed that Iresine,...

Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay was as strong as any in recent times and there was no fluke about the victory of Bertrand Milliere's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}--Inanga {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}), who provided trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvain and jockey Marie Velon with a once-in-a-lifetime moment at ParisLongchamp. Carrying a penalty for his G1 Prix Royal Oak success when an eye-catching second to Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt here three weeks previously, the 4-1 shot was anchored in last early with the pace generous. Delivered with...

Jean-Pierre Gauvin trainee Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}--Inanga {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) had earned money in each of his 14 prior starts and was last seen annexing the 12-furlong G2 Prix Foy, on Arc trials day, at ParisLongchamp in September. He returned to the Bois de Boulogne venue and was upped in trip for Sunday's G1 Prix Royal-Oak, the track's final pattern race of the season, and registered a career best by clear water with a display of force in the latter stages of the 15 1/2-furlong stamina test. The...