Calandagan bids to restore reputation at Saint-Cloud

Calandagan bids to put a rare blip at Epsom behind him by successfully defending his crown in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday.

Francis-Henri Graffard’s charge was a perennial bridesmaid in Group One events before finally breaking his duck in this race 12 months ago, a victory which opened the floodgates as he went on to win the King George and the Champion Stakes at Ascot before becoming the first overseas runner in 20 years to lift the Japan Cup.

He cemented his status as the world’s highest-rated racehorse with a comeback win in Dubai and was a hot favourite to avenge his narrow defeat of last season in the Coronation Cup on Derby day.

However, pre-race fears regarding the rain-softened ground proved well founded as Calandagan finished a tailed-off fourth, the first time he has not finished on the podium over the course of his 16-race career to date.

Nemone Routh, French racing manager and director for owners the Aga Khan Studs, said: “He’s showing up well in the mornings and he seems very well in himself. He’s a good home worker in terms of he does everything we ask him to and Mickael (Barzalona) was happy with him on Tuesday – he worked with a good horse, they worked well together and he felt he was moving well and was happy.

“He’s going to have his ground and he knows that track. If he’s back to form and he gets a clear run he should go very close, but it’s a proper field and he’s going to have to have to be near his best to win.”

While keen to see how he performs this weekend before making any concrete plans, Routh hopes to see Calandagan bid for back-to-back King George wins at Ascot on July 25.

“That would be the plan, but we’ve got to get Sunday out of the way and see how that goes,” Routh added.

“We thought about missing Sunday and going straight to the King George, but then we felt if he doesn’t show his best on Sunday there’s no point going for the King George.

“I think there were reasons why he didn’t run well at Epsom – it was horrible ground, it rained liked cats and dogs and he doesn’t really like that track and it just wasn’t for him.

“We know what the reasons are, but he’s never run such a bad race before so he does need to reassure us on Sunday.”

The biggest threat to Calandagan’s title appears to be Christophe Ferland’s top-class mare Aventure.

So far this season the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up has finished third to last year’s Arc hero Daryz in the Prix Ganay before winning a Group Two prize at ParisLongchamp.

The five-year-old was under consideration for the Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland last weekend, but scorching temperatures led to connections keeping her at home.

“Everything is perfect, she’s in good form and we keep going,” said Ferland.

“Of course she is as good as she was and we have decided to stick with this option of the plan. When we had temperatures of 40C, I don’t think you should travel horses for a long trip like that.”

Graffard has a second string to his bow in the Juddmonte-owned Sunly, who was a close second to Aventure in the Prix Corrida and will be ridden by Colin Keane.

British hopes are carried by Andrew Balding’s Eydon and Ralph Beckett’s Pride Of Arras, while Aidan O’Brien runs last year’s dual Derby winner Lambourn.

Pride Of Arras makes his seasonal debut, and Beckett said: “Pride Of Arras has not raced since November, but he runs well when fresh.

“His best performances have come on flat, left-handed tracks, so we believe Saint-Cloud should suit him particularly well.”

Leffard (Jean-Claude Rouget) and Cualificar (Andre and Lavinia Fabre) complete the eight-strong field.