Latest news with #Calandagan
UPI
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Calandigan wins King George, Glorious Goodwood to have more top racing
Calandagan wins the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday, earning a "Win and You're In" bid to the Breeders' Cup Turf. Photo by Hattie Austin/ courtesy of Breeders' Cup July 28 (UPI) -- Royal Ascot rules racing springtime in England, but midsummer packs in some of the best of the year's action as the 3-year-olds start to test their elders and spots for big-ticket year-end races are on the block. The weekend's King George meeting at Ascot and this week's Glorious Goodwood are on the leading edge of that excitement. Here's a rundown, a look forward and a sideways glance at Germany and South Africa. England Calandagan chased down Kalpana in the final yards to land Saturday's Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot by 1 length with two-time Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance rallying to finish third after traffic issues. Coolmore's pair, Jan Brueghel and Continuous, led the way for most of the King George's 1 1/4 miles, but wilted when Kapana surged to the front midway down the straight. They finished next-last and last in the five-horse field. Kalpana, a 4-year-old Study of Man filly, with Oisin Murphy up, looked to have stolen a march on the field, but Mickael Barzalona had Calandagan wound up from the back of the pack and the Aga Khan Stud's homebred 4-year-old Gleneagles gelding got the job done. The tactics were a bit of a puzzler, as most thought Continuous was in the race to make a pace for Jan Brueghel, who had defeated Calandagan by 1/2 length in the Group 1 Coronation Cup using those tactics. Barzalona said he was surprised, too, to see jockey Ryan Moore put Jan Brueghel on the lead. "I didn't expect that one," Barzalona said. "But once I saw Continuous beside him and Rebel's Romance boxed in, I was happy where I was because I knew either William [Buick on Rebel's Romance] was going to make a gap or Oisin was going to have to go round. "I was just waiting to see what happened, and when I saw Oisin making the move, I just followed." The race was a "Win and You're In" for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Trainer Francis Graffard wasn't talking California in his post-race comments. "He's in the Juddmonte International, so why not go there?" he added, referring to the Group 1 at York on Aug. 20. "I wouldn't mind coming back and then maybe going to Japan at the end of the season. But I have to discuss it with the Aga Khan team and Princess Zahra." Kalpana, despite the defeat, was lowered into the favorite's role by many bookmakers for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, perhaps thanks to her win on soft turf in last October's Group 1 British Champions Filly & Mare Turf. Calandagan came to Ascot off a victory in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Before that, he had four straight seconds, all in Group 1 races. Also Saturday at Ascot, Fitzella captured the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes, improving on a fourth-place finish in the Group 3 Albany at the Royal meeting; and Cheshire Dancer landed the Group 3 Valiant Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 mile. On Friday at Ascot, Time to Turn shot to the lead in the final furlong of the Pat Eddery Stakes for 2-year-olds and held off the late run of A Bit of Spirit to win by a head. The Godolphin homebred Dark Angel colt finished second in his first two starts, won his third on the Wolverhampton all-weather and was favorite in Friday's field. Looking ahead ... Glorious Goodwood kicks off Tuesday with the Group 1 Goodwood Cup, a 2-mile staying test with Coolmore's Illinois and Scandinavia the top early picks. Wathnan Racing fields French Master. Nine-year-old Dubai Future is held at long odds in the eight-horse field, but has shown continued ability with a win in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup in April and a third (albeit beaten 13 lengths) in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor would like nothing more than to pick up his second top-level win in three days' time after winning Sunday in Munich. The highlight of the meeting arrives Wednesday in the Group 1 Visit Qatar Sussex Stakes. Field of Gold, romping winner of the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in his last start, is the overwhelming favorite. He and Coolmore's Henri Matisse, second at Ascot, try their luck against older horses for the first time. Field of Gold, a Juddmonte homebred trained by John and Thady Gosden, shares the top spot in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings with Ombudsman and Japanese star Forever Young. It's 3-year-olds against older rivals again Thursday in the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes for fillies and mares. Pending declarations, Coolmore holds a strong hand with entries for Whirl, winner of the Group 1 Pretty Polly, and Bedtime Story, second in the Group 1 Prix de Diane or French Oaks. See the Fire, third behind Ombudsman in the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting, also figures in this 1 1/4-mile test. Germany Tornado Alert racked up another German Group 1 win for Godolphin in Sunday's Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich. Jockey Oisin Murphy kept the 3-year-old Too Darn Hot colt close enough to the pace throughout, easily took the lead turning for home and repulsed a late bid by the favorite, Wathnan Racing's Map of Stars, to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Lazio finished third, the best of the locals. Winning trainer Saeed bin Suroor, who won the event with Kutub in 2001 and Benbatl in 2018, picked up his first Group 1 win since October 2023. Neither of the top two features in the top ranks for upcoming Group 1 events, but Tornado Alert's odds were halved by some bookmakers for the Juddmonte International at York. Map of Stars' standing for the Arc took a tumble. South Africa Gladatorian turned the tables on Durban July winner The Real Prince in Saturday's Grade 1 HKJC Champions Day at Greyville, seeing off that rival by 1/2 length. The 5-year-old Vercingetorix gelding finished seventh in the July and third, behind Dave the King, in their previous
Powys County Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Calandagan not certain to take Juddmonte International chance
King George hero Calandagan appears far from certain to line up in the Juddmonte International at York next month, with trainer Francis-Henri Graffard suggesting he could keep his powder dry for major targets on foreign soil later in the year. Fresh from securing a belated first Group One victory in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, the four-year-old comprehensively turned the tables on his Coronation Cup conqueror Jan Brueghel to provide his trainer with back-to-back wins in Saturday's Ascot feature following Goliath's triumph 12 months ago. Calandagan found only City Of Troy too strong in the Juddmonte International last summer – but while Graffard is not ruling out a return to the Knavesmire, he feels his stable star will need a break at some stage if he is to head abroad in the latter part of 2025. THE FRENCH RAIDER HAS DONE IT! 🇫🇷 CALANDAGAN WINS THE KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES! — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 26, 2025 'He came back yesterday (Sunday) lunchtime and ate everything. He lost 13 kilos, which is normal, and he was at the track this morning and seems fine,' the trainer told Sky Sports Racing. 'It (Juddmonte International) is in the back of my head and he is entered. I think that would be great for the sport if he can go there, (but) he showed that a mile and a half on good ground is what he really likes and where he's very efficient. 'I have to discuss it with the Princess (Zahra, who leads the management team of the Aga Khan Studs) and I haven't been in touch with her since (Saturday). He has big targets in Japan, Hong Kong, the Breeders' Cup and Dubai, so I can't keep him going non-stop and will probably have to stop at one stage. 'I have to discuss it with the Princess, but at the moment I am probably going to go for a break with him.' Graffard has a second Aga Khan-owned Juddmonte International entry in the form of Daryz, who was last seen stretching his unbeaten record to four in the Group Two Prix Eugene Adam. When asked whether he was a possible contender for the York feature, Graffard added: 'He is, again that would be a discussion I need to have with the Princess. 'He's a very nice prospect, Daryz, I really like the horse, but is he ready to go into a race like the Juddmonte International against these very strong horses? It's a big question mark. 'If he doesn't go to York, he can go the classic French way of the Prix Niel and the Arc.' Graffard also confirmed the Prix de la Foret as a likely target for French Guineas heroine and Coronation Stakes runner-up Zarigana, while Prix Jean Prat victor Woodshauna is being aimed at the Prix Maurice de Gheest ahead of a possible trip to Haydock for the Sprint Cup in September.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Oisin Murphy lands German Group One and €100,000 prize money
Tornado Alert secured German Group One honours for Saeed bin Suroor and Oisin Murphy with a commanding victory in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich. Despite being winless in three outings this campaign, the Too Darn Hot colt had shown promise when fourth in the 2000 Guineas and sixth in the Derby, before finishing behind subsequent Grand Prix de Paris runner-up Trinity College in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot. Dispatched across Europe in search of elite-level triumph, in a contest Bin Suroor and Murphy captured with Benbatl in 2018, Tornado Alert remained within striking distance throughout before quickening impressively to hit the front midway down the home stretch. Map Of Stars, attempting to deliver trainer Francis-Henri Graffard a second Group One victory in consecutive days following Calandagan's King George triumph at Ascot on Saturday, rallied from deeper in the field to mount his challenge under James Doyle in the Wathnan Racing colours. However, despite his best efforts he couldn't reel in Tornado Alert, who was comfortably clear at the finish, with the victory securing €100,000 in prize money for the winning connections. Bin Suroor said: "He won well, the ground was heavy and he's never run before on this ground, but he handled it well. "I said to Oisin before the race 'just keep him happy and give him a chance', but he was travelling good all the way and when he came off the bridle he saw it out well." Tornado Alert has been entered into the big races at the Juddmonte International in York and the Celebration Mile at Goodwood next month, but Bin Suroor isn't hurrying to finalise future plans, stating: "We'll see how he comes back after the race and then we'll make a decision. "He's a horse who is improving all the time. He ran well at Royal Ascot, his form is very good and he has improved every time he has run. "Physically he looks better now than when he finished fourth in the Guineas, but with time and age that is what you would expect. "He has plenty of speed, but I think a mile and a quarter is his best trip at the moment."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calandagan Scores As Favorite In King George VI & Queen Elizabeth At Ascot
Calandagan Scores As Favorite In King George VI & Queen Elizabeth At Ascot originally appeared on Paulick Report. Favored at 11-10, Calandagan powered home on Saturday to win the £1.5-million King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Ascot Racecourse, earning a guaranteed start in the $5-million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) via the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. Owned by the Aga Khan Studs SCEA, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained gelding silenced doubters when he dug deep to beat Juddmonte's filly Kalpana by a length under Mickael Barzalona, giving his French trainer back-to-back wins in the 1 1/2-mile race. The son of Gleneagles previously finished second in four consecutive Group 1 events – including crossing the line half a length behind Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom – which raised questions about his resolution in a finish. However, he broke his top-level duck in the June 29 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) last time out and doubled up with a first domestic success at the top level. His win also marked a fourth success for the Aga Khan's green and red colors in the historic race on its 75th running. French-based Graffard, who won the race with Goliath last year, became the first trainer to achieve back-to-back wins in the race since John Gosden's Enable won in 2019 and 2020. He joins only four other trainers – Gosden, Sir Michael Stoute, Saeed Bin Suroor and Aidan O'Brien – to achieve this feat. 'I'm so pleased for this horse,' said Graffard. 'It's a fantastic race. I was not expecting the tactics during the race. When I saw Continuous going very it was all different. When they turned to home my horse was still travelling well. He lengthened so well. He's a very good horse. 'I was very impatient when I saw Kalpana going away so well. I wanted to see my horse lengthening and getting into a rhythm, but when I saw him really coming, I started to shout and help him up to the line. He's won two Group 1s in a row now. M.B. (Barzalona) knows him very well and the ride he gave him gave me a lot of confidence.' On the fact Calandagan has been gelded, he said: 'As a 2-year-old he was very difficult in the morning. We taught him to load with starters at Deauville for four days but we struggled to load him when it came to the race. He showed a lot of character during the race and he was beaten. We had no choice to geld him – I'd rather have a very good gelding than a bad colt.' Calandagan was aided by the failed tactics of the Ballydoyle duo. Second choice Jan Brueghel – owned by Westerberg, Mrs. J Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor – did not follow the supposed pacemaker Continuous as expected, but instead made the running. Continuous ran on the son of Galileo's outside and never settled, while Jan Brueghel ran out of puff on the final straight. Those two finished last and second last. Andrew Balding's 5-1 shot Kalpana ran a stormer of a race to finish second, a result which saw her into ante-post favoritisms for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1). After the race, several pundits questioned whether her jockey, Oisin Murphy, had gone too soon, while others thought she ran a blinder and the best horse won on the day. She has now been placed in three Group 1s this season. Godolphin's Rebel's Romance was somewhat unlucky to get boxed in by both the Ballydoyle horses leaving his jockey, William Buick, with few options. The two-time winner of the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf ran on well to finish third, replicating his 2024 effort in the race. The winning time was 2.29.79 on a course rated good. The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 93 stakes races in 15 countries whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California. As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes to start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf. Breeders' Cup will also provide a travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 20 in order to receive the rewards. This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Powys County Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Graffard ‘never had any doubts', as Calandagan shows his true colours
If there was any doubt about Calandagan's resolution in a battle, then his King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes tussle with Kalpana firmly answered the question. Narrowly beaten in four top-level contests since scoring at Royal Ascot last summer, some had looked at the four-year-old's thirst for victory as a reason why the talented son of Gleneagles was yet to strike at the highest level. Francis-Henri Graffard never had any doubts and although relief may have been the overriding emotion when Calandagan opened his Group One account in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last month, this was a moment of sweet vindication for the Aga Khan team who have stood steadfast behind their star middle-distance performer. 'I never had any doubts about his willingness to win and every time he has been beaten he has had excuses,' said Graffard. 'He was really far back in the Juddmonte International and he quickened really strongly, just too late, and in Dubai he again finished strongly when beaten by a very good horse. At Epsom, I had plenty of excuses, but I could never say it was because he didn't want to try. 'Mickael (Barzalona) knows him better now and he loves good ground and the mile-and-a-half distance. I think there can't be any more doubt about his willingness to win.' Having caused a 25-1 shock with Goliath 12 months ago, Graffard this time had the 11-10 favourite on his side and a horse who could quite rightfully class Ascot as his second home. A regular at British passport control, he once again displayed his liking for crossing the Channel, this time around taking home £850,650 after Barzalona delivered his mount with precision to deny Andrew Balding's top-class filly. Graffard added: 'I thought the filly might have got away and when she quickened I thought 'oh my god, I'm going to be beaten a neck again'. 'But Mickael said he was waiting and he really helped him to balance. He said the last 200 metres are long here and he knew he was going to catch her. 'The way he can quicken is very impressive, he's a very good horse and now we know whatever tactics the opposition have we can be competitive in these top races.' For Graffard, a second win in one of the season's key contests cements his position as one of the leading trainers in the world. Having shown himself to be a powerhouse on home soil, he is now proving it on the global stage, again displaying his willingness to venture into enemy territory and make a daring raid on the spoils. 'I love the sport and competition and when you have a top horse in good form, I think it is important to challenge yourself against the best possible opposition,' said Graffard. 'That is how you can really level-up the quality of your horses and English racing is so strong. I came to Royal Ascot with a really strong team of horses and left disappointed, so it is not easy. When you win, it makes it even more joyful. 'The season has been very strong for me so far, we're just starting the second half now and I've just had a week off to recharge and the stats have been very strong for the stable, so we need to keep bringing the winners and we are working very hard.' By emulating the achievement of countryman Maurice Zilber – trainer of 1973 and 1974 winner Dahlia – he has now done what many of his contemporaries, including even the great Andre Fabre, have so far failed to achieve. Dahlia and Zilber were of course thwarted in 'the race of the century' when seeking a King George hat-trick 50 years ago. But on the day next year's Ascot feature was boosted to a swelling £2million prize-pot, the lure of one of the sport's greatest races is sure to prove a tempting proposition once again. 'Hopefully. It's an amazing race and I'm not sure why it is not on the agenda for more horses and stables,' said Graffard when asked about seeking a third win in the race. 'It's a fantastic race and of course you don't just come for the prize-money. If my horses are in good form I would definitely come back again.'
