Monday 15 April 2024
It was a productive day at the races for the Aga Khan Studs on Sunday, with two Group winners in the green and red silks of H.H the Aga Khan as well as Stakes victories for SIYOUNI and ZARAK.
CANDALA proved herself an exciting Classic candidate with a fast-finishing win in the Gr.3 Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp. The Frankel filly is the fourth foal out of Group 2 winner and Group 1 runner-up Candarliya, whose own sire Dalakhani was also the broodmare sire of Sunday’s Gr.3 Prix de Fontainebleau hero Ramadan.
“I was impatient to see her back at the races, but equally I was not in too much of a hurry as the ground has been very bad so far and also it took her some time to come in her coat and blossom,” said CANDALA’s trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. “So a nice day like today with drier ground was ideal for a seasonal debut and it was the plan to use waiting tactics, as I know she can quicken. She had run well here first time out last year, won well on her second start and had always showed us good things. I'd imagine the Poule d'Essai will be next. She has every right to be at the start and it will be a test, but we also think that she'll stay further.”
Earlier in the day, stablemate CALANDAGAN won the Gr.3 Prix Noailles, finishing ahead of Bright Picture, to whom he finished second in the Listed Prix François Mathet last month.
“He had come on a lot from his first run this year and I was expecting a good performance,” said Graffard. “It was the plan to ride him [from behind] like that, as he can be keen, but he also has a strong acceleration. I like how he behaved when he was challenged by the favourite [Bright Picture], he dug in and found more. I have no idea what will be next. He is a gelding so Classics are not for him, but he is a Group winner now and that is a good point.”
On the same ParisLongchamp card, SIYOUNI’s daughter Mqse De Sévigné made a winning seasonal debut in the Listed Prix Jacques Lafitte. After the race, owner/breeder Édouard de Rothschild stated that his dual Group 1 winning mare would likely head to the Gr.1 Prix d’Ispahan.
Meanwhile in Germany, ZARAK scored his 15th individual Group winner when Arcandi won the Gr.3 Kalkmann-Frühjahrs-Meile at Düsselforf. He became the third Group winner so far in 2024 for his sire.
