Mickael Barzalona

Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion Stakes featured the winners of all the big 10-furlong prizes in 2025, but in the end it went to the horse who had still to win over the trip. While Calandagan (Gleneagles) was in danger of being pigeon-holed as a mile-and-a-half performer following his wins in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and King George this summer, The Aga Khan Studs homebred went through Ascot's test with ease under Mickael Barzalona. Swooping wide approaching the final furlong, the 15-8 second favourite powered to the line to beat...

Francis Graffard representative Samangan (Blue Point), fresh off a stakes breakthrough in last month's G3 Prix Eclipse, went postward as the prohibitively priced 1-5 favourite for Saturday's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte and never gave connections a moment's worry with a stylish victory in the six-furlong contest. The Aga Khan Studs homebred stalked the pace in third from flagfall. Making smooth progress once past halfway, he eased to the front approaching the final furlong and was pushed out in the closing stages to easily account for Street Show (Showcasing) by 2...

Producing a stirring finale to Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, The Aga Khan Studs runner Daryz (Sea The Stars) wore down Ballydoyle's star filly Minnie Hauk (Frankel) to cap a stellar season for Francis-Henri Graffard. Having been given an unorthodox preparation for this monument which culminated in a close second to Croix Du Nord (Kitasan Black) in the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange, the 16-1 shot followed the pace set by the Japanese challenger with just the triple Oaks-winning 5-2 favourite to catch. Minnie Hauk looked to...

Just as ParisLongchamp became enveloped in gloom, one of its beloved sons Andre Fabre produced some illumination with the reinvigorated First Look in the G2 Qatar Prix Dollar. Providing his sire Lope De Vega with a quickfire double after the exploits of Consent minutes earlier, Wathnan Racing's 2024 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up built on recent momentum to deny the Prix Niel runner-up Bay City Roller (New Bay) by 1 1/4 lengths under Mickael Barzalona. In the recent past, this 10-furlong contest has been used as a stepping stone to Ascot's...

Aga Khan Studs representative Samangan shed maiden status with an impressive wide-margin triumph at Deauville towards the end of last month and continued on the upgrade with a black-type breakthrough in Saturday's G3 Prix Eclipse Fonds Europeen de l'Elevage at Chantilly. "He broke slowly and therefore put himself in trouble from the start," reflected trainer Francis Graffard. "He was never really travelling smoothly and didn't look like a winner at halfway. Maybe the [soft] ground is the reason, but I don't know. When he started finding his best stride, the...

Tom Marquand has been confirmed as the partner of Goodwood Cup hero and ante-post favourite Scandinavia (Justify), who is set to head a field of seven in Saturday's G1 Betfred St Leger. With Ryan Moore on the sidelines and Wayne Lordan suspended, Sean Levey will partner dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia) and Mickael Barzalona picks up the ride aboard Great Voltigeur fourth Stay True (Galileo). In addition to the Ballydoyle trio, Ireland is represented by Queen's Vase victor and Great Voltigeur runner-up Carmers (Wootton Bassett), who will be partnered by...

Coming into Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp very much under the radar, Al Shaqab's Sahlan (Wootton Bassett) became the latest of Francis Graffard's brigade to enter the spotlight during the trainer's unforgettable year. Edging a tight photo ahead of Rosallion (Blue Point), the highly-regarded three-year-old whose finest hour prior to this had been a latest win in the G3 Prix Daphnis landed odds of 16-1 from racing's relentless hard-luck story. Securing an unexpected eighth top-level victory for the stable in 2025, Mickael Barzalona thrust him to a...

Providing a welcome winner for The Aga Khan Studs on the Deauville card they sponsored in its entirety, Rayif (Sea The Moon) lit up the G3 Prix Francois Boutin with a display that shouted Classic potential. A narrow winner over six furlongs here last month, the half-brother to the Commonwealth Cup third Rayevka brushed aside Ballydoyle's 7-10 favourite Daytona (Wootton Bassett) with a furlong remaining and surged to the line for a 2 1/2-length success. The Coventry fourth Andab (Saxon Warrior) denied Daytona second by a head. "I thought he...

Francis Graffard trainee Cankoura (Persian King) was last seen running third in June's G1 Prix de Diane and bounced back in style to register a first pattern-race triumph for her second-crop sire in Sunday's G3 Sky Sports Racing Prix de Psyche at Deauville. "On the formline, she was the hot favourite and probably should have won today, but you're never quite sure," said Aga Khan Studs' Nemone Routh. "She was drawn seven of seven, Mickael [Barzalona] got a nice position on her, but he had to bring her out quite...

Anyone who doubted what a class act Calandagan (Gleneagles) is following some excusable defeats got an emphatic reply on Sunday in the feature G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Relishing the genuine pace and lively surface, the Aga Khan Studs representative brushed aside last year's Arc runner-up Aventure (Sea The Stars) in scintillating style to record a deserved first top-level win. "He's such a consistent horse who always runs his race and we were a bit upset when people started talking about cheekpieces and blinkers after his last run," racing manager Nemone Routh...

The Aga Khan Studs operation had not celebrated success in Saint-Cloud's G2 Prix Eugene Adam since Dariyan (Shamardal) saluted in 2015, but rectified matters after the hithero unbeaten Daryz (Sea The Stars) defeated five rivals in Sunday's renewal of the 10-furlong contest. "We have high expectations of him and we are very pleased with the result of the race," said trainer Francis Graffard. "We really like him, today was an interesting test and he performed again. There was very little pace in the race and it became very tactical, so...

In-form conditioner Francis Graffard continued on a winning roll at Saint-Cloud Tuesday afternoon and saddled Aga Khan Studs homebred Narissa (Siyouni) to become her sire's 15th TDN Rising Star after she delivered a stunning performance in the seven-furlong Prix Allee d'Amour. Siyouni, himself a Rising Star, boasts a roll of honour which also includes last month's G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine  Zarigana. The 3-5 favourite, askew from the gates and careering left at the break, tracked the leaders in fourth before surging forward into a handy third approaching halfway....