Champions Day: the inside track on Calandagan and Rayif
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 13 Oct 2026
The Aga Khan Studs is set to deploy two of its star names at Ascot on Qatar Racing British Champions Day, with Calandagan seeking a repeat win in the G1 Qatar Racing Champion Stakes and Rayif chasing his third G1 of the season in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Sponsored By Qatar Racing).
Calandagan delivered a stellar performance in the 2025 edition of the 10-furlong highlight as he beat Ombudsman by two and a quarter lengths, a performance judged to be the best in the world by the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.
However, the five-year-old has met with defeat on two of his three European starts this year for Francis-Henri Graffard, most recently chasing home Kalpana in July’s G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Calandagan is set to resume his rivalry with Ombudsman and last year’s third Almaqam, with fellow 2026 G1 winners Bay City Roller, Gstaad and Hotazhell also confirmed for another vintage renewal – the Champion Stakes was named the joint-best race in the world in 2025.
Stablemate Rayif captured the Poule d'Essai des Poulains in the spring and, after missing Royal Ascot with a minor setback, defeated all-aged opposition on his latest outing in the Prix Jacques le Marois.
Both horses will be partnered by Christophe Soumillon for the first time, with the Aga Khan Studs retained rider Mickael Barzalona missing out through suspension.
Nemone Routh, racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs in France, said: “Calandagan and Rayif worked separately on Monday morning, with Christophe on Calandagan and Mickael on Rayif. They were straightforward pieces of work and we were very happy with both.
“Calandagan has really benefited from a break after the King George as we thought he was a bit tired that day. Take nothing away from Kalpana, but we felt he came there to win his race and then did not quite finish it out.
“I thought it was a massive performance on Champions Day last year. We had a few question marks because we were viewing it as a prep for the Japan Cup and weren’t sure whether the drop back to 10 furlongs would be suitable. He blew everyone away that day and was very impressive.
“In terms of ratings, last year’s Champion Stakes is his best performance. That gave us huge satisfaction and after that we took him very seriously. We went into the Japan Cup thinking we had a proper Group One horse.
“Rayif won the French Guineas on a softish surface, whereas two of the races he has won at Deauville have been on fast ground, so he is completely ground indifferent. The straight track is not a concern for him either.
“We did not run Rayif in the Prix du Moulin because it was only three weeks after the Marois, plus we wanted to give Erdenali a shot at a Group One. This will be his first time travelling [overseas] but he is a very laidback horse. Although I would not be concerned about the travelling, there is always a question mark until they do it.
“Mickael would obviously have been our first choice, but we soon realised that his ban was not going to be lifted. We spoke with Francis, who put a list of names to us, and we felt it made sense to choose Christophe. He knows our organisation very well, is a very good big-race jockey and was in tremendous form over Arc Weekend.
“We left Samangan in the Sprint after we had a look at the weather forecast. He will only run if the ground is suitable.”
The 1981 Derby winner Shergar, who was owned and bred by the late HH Aga Khan IV, will be inducted into the British Racing Hall of Fame at Ascot on Saturday. His winning distance of 10 lengths remains the longest in the Classic’s history.
Routh added: “Shergar is an iconic horse. I know, from having worked for His Highness The Aga Khan for a long time, that he often spoke of Shergar’s Derby as one of the races he was most proud of. He was a relatively young owner at the time and for the horse to win it the way he did was exceptional. Anything that remembers Shergar the racehorse is always welcomed by the Aga Khan Studs because that is how we like to remember him. Princess Zahra and her family will be very honoured by this.”
The going at Ascot remains Good all over following a largely dry day on Monday with just some drizzle in the air. Total rain due between now and racing is 2-5mm.
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