Samangan (Ire)

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...

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...