Classy Calandagan chasing Coronation Cup crown
No stranger to British soil, Francis-Henri Graffard's four-year-old won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last term, but then had to settle for second when returning for top-table action against City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International and then in the season-ending Champion Stakes.
'We would really love a first Group One with him and that's what we would like to do this year, he deserves to win a Group One and we're hoping it will be on Friday,' said Nemone Routh, racing manager for owners the Aga Khan Studs.
'I suppose the only real doubt is handling the track and he's probably never run on anything like Epsom before.
'He's a very balanced horse and we imagine he is going to be OK but you never know until they get there and run. We are confident he is going to run well, he always runs well.'
Calandagan was again runner-up at the highest level when returning to action in Dubai in April, with this race immediately earmarked for the gelding's next outing, a ploy the owners almost pulled off with Meydan scorer Dolniya in 2015 when going down narrowly to Pether's Moon at Epsom.
'We were happy with his run in the Sheema Classic, he got a little bit far back but that's because he was drawn on the inside and he's not a horse with a huge amount of early speed,' continued Routh.
Race 8⃣#DWC down to the last two races!🏇 DANON DECILE from 🇯🇵 Japan bagged the title of the fastest in the Dubai Sheema Classic race!
日本のダノンデサイルがドバイシーマクラシックで最速の座を勝ち取りました！#DubaiRacing#DWC25 #DubaiWorldCup #ドバイ競馬… pic.twitter.com/M6vD716fXp
— Dubai Racing Channel (@DubaiRacingTV) April 5, 2025
'He finished the race well and took the race well, he's very straightforward and we've been happy with his preparation.
'We won the Sheema Classic with Dolniya and then came to this race and it gives them enough time to get over the trip to Dubai as you're winding them up quite early in the season to run in a Group One, which is quite a big ask for a horse coming out of winter.
'The gap gives them enough time to get over that and then run well and Francis had always earmarked this race for after Dubai. This has been the plan for a while and we hope he's in great form.'
Giavellotto ended a winter of globetrotting by finishing fifth in the same Meydan event as Calandagan and now makes his UK return fresh from his trainer Marco Botti enjoying Italian Derby glory in his homeland.
Botti said: 'He's in good form and with Epsom you never know whether they'll handle the track or not, but he ran at Goodwood and handled the undulations there and it's not a big field, so fingers crossed he'll handle it.
'He's proven now that over a mile and a half he's quite effective. It's not an easy race, but he deserves to be there.'
Aidan O'Brien will saddle a pair of St Leger heroes Jan Brueghel in Continuous as he looks for back-to-back Coronation Cup victories following Luxembourg's success 12 months ago.
O'Brien explained how Jan Brueghel was a late substitution into the race following a shuffling of the Ballydoyle pack, but expects him to improve for his reappearance second in the Alleged Stakes.
'Everyone was standing in line behind Kyprios and when Kyprios was retired we had to find a Gold Cup horse and it was between him and Illinois,' said O'Brien.
'We just felt we could give Illinois the first go at it as he won at Chester and his preparation was going to fit into the Gold Cup, when that happened Jan Brueghel could take Illinois' position in the Coronation.'
Of Jan Brueghel, he added: 'He was second to one of Joseph's (O'Brien) the first day over a mile and a quarter and he will definitely be much happier going a mile and a half.
'I'm never surprised when they get beat. Obviously he was a Leger winning starting back over a mile and a quarter, so he was always going to lack race sharpness and fitness at that time of the year.
'Joseph's horse beat him nicely on the day, but we thought it did our horse good and he learnt a lot and he came out of the race well.'
Ralph Beckett's Irish Oaks heroine You Got To Me will make her first appearance in the colours of Amo Racing, while Andrew Balding's Bellum Justum and the Charlie Appleby-trained Ancient Wisdom finished seventh and eighth respectively in the Derby last year and have banked some smart form since.
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Telegraph
28 minutes ago
- Telegraph
The Betfred Derby – Runner-by-runner guide and tips
The Derby, run over 1m 4f around the twists, turns and undulations of Epsom, is a true test of the thoroughbred, examining a horse's speed, stamina and balance. First staged in 1780, it's one of the world's most prestigious races. Sponsored by Betfred, this famous Classic carries prize money of £1,500,000, of which just over £900,000 goes to the winner. This year's renewal has attracted 19 runners, three of them trained by Aidan O'Brien, who has won the race a record 10 times. It's live on ITV1 and Racing TV. Odds provided by Betfred and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (max 5). If you already have a Betfred account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts. Betfred Derby – 3.30pm, Saturday Ron Wood's Betfred Derby verdict This year's Derby is wide open. The favourite Delacroix is no standout on form, the 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court is stepping up half a mile in trip and The Lion In Winter belatedly needs to build on his two-year-old promise. The last two could probably do with the rain staying away, an unsettled weather forecast perhaps influencing Ryan Moore's decision to give up the ride on The Lion In Winter in favour of Delacroix. Pride Of Arras and Damysus, the Dante Stakes winner and runner-up, appeal most of those towards the head of the betting, but the form of the York race doesn't look robust, as there was a muddling pace and the first 10 finishers were covered by just six lengths at the line. There are plenty of runners who appeal at big prices and this feels like a Derby in which it's worth taking a chance on some outsiders. Midak (16/1), TENNESSEE STUD (33/1) and Lazy Griff (100/1) appeal most on that score. It's Tennessee Stud who is my selection. Ignore his defeat behind Delacroix on his reappearance at Leopardstown. The winner was race-fit whereas the selection had been given an extended break and is a big horse who would have needed the outing. Plus it wasn't a truly run race. This test promises to bring out more in him, given he had the stamina to win a Group 1 contest over 1m 2f on testing ground as a juvenile, and the Derby has been the aim since then. Betfred Derby – Guide to runners and odds Delacroix (14) – 3/1 with Betfred Trainer: Aidan O'Brien; Jockey: Ryan Moore: Has won both starts in 1m 2f Group 3 Derby trials at Leopardstown this year, quickening off a steady pace most recently. This requires more, but he's a half-brother to a Group 1 winner over 1m 6f and should be fine over the longer trip. He is the choice of Ryan Moore, who has ridden the last two Derby winners (and has won the race four times overall), over the other two runners for Aidan O'Brien, who has won the race a record 10 times. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ruling Court (7) – 7/2 with Betfred Trainer: Charlie Appleby; Jockey: William Buick: Finished behind The Lion In Winter over 7f in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York last summer, but improved to win the 2,000 Guineas – the season's first Classic – over a mile at Newmarket in May. He is by Justify, the sire of last year's Derby winner, and the dam's sire, High Chaparral, won the Derby in 2002, although a deeper dive into his pedigree suggests he's not a sure stayer. Slow ground would be a worry. ⭐⭐⭐ Pride Of Arras (16) – 5/1 with Betfred Trainer: Ralph Beckett; Jockey: Rossa Ryan: On his sole start as a two-year-old, he landed a Sandown maiden that his trainer won in 2021 with the subsequent Derby third and Group 1 winner Westover. Followed up to win the 1m 2f Group 2 Dante Stakes at York on his reappearance, quickening off a steady pace. Bred to stay on the dam's side of his pedigree, his striding data gives him every chance of getting the trip as well, for all that slow ground would be a question mark. The Dante form doesn't look strong, but he's open to further improvement. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ The Lion In Winter (19) – 8/1 with Betfred Trainer: Aidan O'Brien; Jockey: Colin Keane: By the 2009 Derby winner Sea The Stars and his dam won over 1m 4f. Looked a top-class prospect in winning his first two starts over 7f last year, notably the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York (when Ruling Court was third). However, his season was cut short early and he failed to make the 2,000 Guineas. Unplaced behind three of these rivals on his belated return in the Dante at York, where he pulled hard, met some trouble late on and wasn't given an unduly hard ride. He was said to need the run and his trainer's last two winners of this race were bouncing back from disappointing reappearances. Ryan Moore has deserted him for Delacroix and slow ground would be a question mark, but he shouldn't be written off. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Damysus (15) – 12/1 with Betfred Trainer: John and Thady Gosden; Jockey: James Doyle: By the great Frankel out of a 1m 4f Group 2 winner. Improving with racing, most recently finishing second to Pride Of Arras in the 1m 2f Dante Stakes at York. Didn't help himself by hanging left, so he will need to be more professional to handle this trickier track, with its camber in the straight, while the Dante form may not be reliable. But he's still learning and could progress enough for the greater stamina test. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lambourn (10) – 12/1 with Betfred Trainer: Aidan O'Brien; Jockey: Wayne Lordan: By his connections' 2014 Derby winner Australia. Runner-up to stablemate Delacroix over 1m 2f on reappearance, before winning Group 3 Chester Vase over this trip. Needs to improve a lot. ⭐⭐⭐ Stanhope Gardens (2) – 16/1 with Betfred Trainer: Ralph Beckett; Jockey: Hector Crouch: Ran green when third behind Ruling Court in a 7f maiden at Sandown on their debuts last year and later finished a close second to Delacroix in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes over a mile at Newmarket. Has had an unconventional prep, returning only two weeks ago to win what was little better than an egg-and-spoon race over a mile at Salisbury. His connections have been keen to get him here but he needs to improve, which he may do for this trip. ⭐⭐⭐ Midak (4) – 16/1 with Betfred Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard; Jockey: Mickael Barzalona: French-trained runner who seems to have surprised his connections, as he wasn't originally entered in this race or some other big events but has been supplemented into this field for £75,000. Goes for the Aga Khan Studs and this year's Derby is being run in honour of the late owner, His Highness Aga Khan IV, whose five Derby winners include Shergar. Successful on all three starts in France, most recently the 1m 2½f Group 3 Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud, which Mickael Barzalona won on Pour Moi before their Derby win in 2011. Not as flashy as some of these, but he'll stay well. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nightwalker (5) – 25/1 with Betfred Trainer: John and Thady Gosden; Jockey: Tom Marquand: Another by Frankel and out of a half-sister to same connections' Logician (by Frankel), who won the St Leger over 1m 6½f. Looks to need this trip and more, most recently keeping on after getting behind in the 1m 2f Dante Stakes at York (behind two of these rivals). May not be fast enough, but his best is still to come. Now fitted with cheekpieces for the first time. ⭐⭐⭐ Tennessee Stud (12) – 33/1 with Betfred Trainer: Joseph O'Brien; Jockey: Dylan Browne McMonagle: Successful in a three-runner Group 1 race over 1m 2f on heavy ground in France last year (Green Storm second). That race was won the previous season by the same owner's Los Angeles, who was then third in this race and won the Irish Derby. This race has been the plan ever since France. Was beaten almost seven lengths into third by Delacroix at Leopardstown on his reappearance (1m 2f), but a steady early pace placed the emphasis on speed, and he will have needed the run, as his connections chose to skip the early Derby trials. Stamina looks like his game and he's a big horse who has improvement in him. Might not be the worst outsider. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tornado Alert (11) – 33/1 with Betfred Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor; Jockey: Oisin Murphy: Front-running fourth behind Ruling Court in the 2,000 Guineas over a mile at Newmarket on his reappearance. Evidently talented but it's hard to think he will see this out best, for all that there's stamina on the dam's side of his pedigree. ⭐⭐ New Ground (17) – 50/1 with Betfred Trainer: Henri-Francois Devin; Jockey: Alexis Pouchin: Like Midak, he's a French-trained runner who has been supplemented for £75,000. Needs to improve a good deal, having been beaten in two lesser races up to 1m 2f in France this year, but his connections think this step up in trip could be the answer. There is plenty of stamina on the dam's side of his pedigree. ⭐⭐⭐ Tuscan Hills (6) – 66/1 with Betfred Trainer: Raphael Freire; Jockey: David Egan: Late-May foal who won both starts over a mile last year, notably a Listed race on soft ground at Pontefract. Behind a few of these when only seventh in the Dante at York on his return, but did make a bit of a move in the straight, probably being asked to go too soon. Presumably he needed the run, but his stamina is questionable looking at the pedigree. ⭐ Sea Scout (18) – 100/1 with Betfred Trainer: Simon and Ed Crisford; Jockey: Harry Davies: Another by the 2009 winner Sea The Stars. Narrowly won 1m 2f Listed race here on reappearance, before fading behind a few of these in the Dante at York, where he took a keen hold. Hard to fancy. ⭐ Lazy Griff (3) – 100/1 with Betfred Trainer: Charlie Johnston; Jockey: Christophe Soumillon: Beaten into second by Lambourn in the 1m 4f Chester Vase on his reappearance, but the winner was race-fit whereas this colt had reportedly missed a workout and was short of peak fitness. Plenty of improvement needed but he stays and won't mind rain, so he's worth considering at huge odds. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐ Nightime Dancer (9) – 150/1 with Betfred Trainer: Richard Hannon; Jockey: Jamie Spencer: Raced wide into the straight when third in the Lingfield Derby Trial (the first two finishers are missing from this race) and it's possible the ground was too fast for him. Needs to do way more now, but he isn't dismissed. ⭐⭐ Green Storm (8) – 200/1 with Betfred Trainer: Charlie Johnston; Jockey: Billy Loughnane: Second of three behind Tennessee Stud in a Group 1 race over 1m 2f in France last year. Found 1m 1f too short when a well-beaten fourth in the Feilden Stakes at Newmarket on reappearance. His dam won a Group 2 race over 1m 4f and he can improve for this test, but he doesn't look good enough. ⭐⭐ Odds courtesy of Betfred and correct at time of writing. Royal Ascot is less than two weeks away. Find the best Royal Ascot free bets and betting offers Last 10 Derby winners Star ratings explained ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy ⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims ⭐⭐ - tentative choice ⭐ - minimum confidence If you want to find more odds and offers, take a look at our list of the best betting sites and free bets If you're looking for casino bonuses, we've ranked UK welcome offers here
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
No excuses from Graffard after Calandagan misses out again
A brilliant winner of the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer, the four-year-old went on to give Derby and Eclipse hero City Of Troy a run for his money in the Juddmonte International at York before suffering a narrow defeat behind Anmaat in Ascot's Champion Stakes. Having picked up the silver medal for the third time in succession on his return to action in the Dubai Sheema Classic in late March, Calandagan was an 8-13 favourite to break his top-level duck on the Surrey Downs but again came off second-best, with Aidan O'Brien's Jan Brueghel keeping him at bay by half a length. 'I don't have any excuses. The horse had the perfect run; Mickael (Barzalona) gave him a ride with plenty of thought. Going down the hill he found himself behind Ryan (Moore, riding Jan Brueghel) and gave the horse plenty of time to balance himself,' said Graffard. 'He challenged him, probably took the lead for a moment and then just as they started to climb again, you could see that Ryan was finding more. 'He's a very talented horse who needs to win a Group One, but I'm sure he will. He always gives his best. I don't have any excuses. It was a good performance from him.' Considering future plans, the French trainer added: 'He's in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, don't forget he ran in Dubai so hasn't run in France this year. 'Did I do enough at home? I think he was ready, but a tough O'Brien horse beat me, a horse who will keep finding more.' Barzalona felt Calandagan did not help his cause at the start. He said: 'He's always slowly away, we cannot manage differently with him at the start, but once he found his rhythm I was behind Ryan at Tattenham Corner and I was pretty happy to be there. 'I think I hit the front 100 yards before the line and he kind of just stayed on and got a bit tired going uphill. The O'Brien horse was just a little bit stronger today. 'I hope one day we will be able to break a little bit faster and be able to get a better position earlier, but he has his own rhythm and we'll have to deal with that for the moment. 'He's getting more mature and it's the first time he's run over this kind of different track, so he ran well.' Seven lengths further behind in third was Marco Botti's Hong Kong Vase hero Giavellotto. 'It was a good run, but they were a couple of proper horses in front of us,' said the Newmarket handler. 'My horse has run with credit, but Aidan said they would go hard and that's the way it turned out.'
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Appleby offers note of caution ahead of Ruling Court's Derby bid
Perhaps unsurprisingly given one is run over a straight mile and the second takes place over a turning mile and a half, few horses have landed the first two Classics of the British season, with only three managing to do so since the great Nijinsky completed the Triple Crown 45 years ago. Nashwan claimed Guineas and Derby glory in 1989, but it took a horse as brilliant as Sea The Stars two decades later to repeat the feat before Camelot did the same in 2012, after which he came up narrowly short in his Triple Crown quest in the St Leger. Appleby, who has trained two previous Derby winners in Masar (2018) and Adayar (2021), is hoping Ruling Court can etch his name into the history books, but said at Epsom on Friday: 'We're just on weather watch. There's not as much rain around – we were forecast showers this afternoon and it's been a lovely, drying day. 'We know what this track can do in these conditions, the horse is in great form and I'm looking forward to him running, (but) I will just highlight that if all of a sudden we get a deluge (of rain) and the ground becomes very testing, then conversations will have to be had during the build-up to the race over whether we participate or not. 'So there is a warning out there, but I think we'll be OK. It looks as though the weather has broken up a bit and the forecast tonight doesn't look as though it's going to be quite as severe as it was first forecast to be.' Like Masar, Ruling Court will be ridden by William Buick, who said: 'He's not too dissimilar from Masar. They have completely different pedigrees, but Masar was a good third in the Guineas and again went to Epsom having not run beyond a mile. They are not similar horses but have not too dissimilar profiles. 'Masar winning the Derby was the highlight of my career. I'd ridden in it enough before and been placed before and I thought I'd know how it would feel to win it, but it was an amazing day.' On whether his mount could be a Triple Crown contender, he added: 'I got asked about it before the Guineas and there were still three races to go! 'Ruling Court is heading into the most important race now. I'll answer the question after Saturday as I don't think I can answer it in a sensible way right now.' The biggest threat to Ruling Court appears to be Aidan O'Brien, who has saddled a record 10 Derby winners, including the last two and eight in the last 13 years. His chief hope this weekend appears to be Delacroix, who has impressed in winning the Ballysax Stakes and the Derby Trial at Leopardstown this spring and is the chosen mount of Ryan Moore. 'Everything has gone well with him, he's won his two trials and we always thought of him last year as a potential Derby horse,' said O'Brien. 'We've been very happy with both of his runs. We found out that he gets a strongly-run mile and a quarter and there's every chance that he will get a mile and a half. 'He has form on all types of ground and he's a big, powerful horse. We feel he has gone the right way every week really.' At the start of the year Delacroix's stablemate The Lion In Winter was at the head of ante-post lists for the Derby, but an interrupted spring campaign and defeat in the Dante at York have dented his reputation. 'He'd only the two runs as a two-year-old, winning his maiden at the Curragh and then winning the Acomb at York. The Acomb is over seven furlongs on a quick track and you're never sure, but we always thought that there was a strong possibility that he could (be a Derby horse),' O'Brien added. 'He's a good traveller, that's what he did in the Acomb and the Dante. I think Ryan was very happy with the way he travelled in the Dante, he travelled down the straight well and as he was getting ready to have a go he just got a little bit chopped and with a horse needing the run as badly as he did, that would be a big disadvantage to him. 'Everything has gone well since York and we couldn't have asked any more from him really.' The Ballydoyle handler's trio is completed by Chester Vase winner Lambourn, of whom he said: 'He had a lovely run first time and then he ran a lovely race in Chester. There's no doubt he looks like a horse that will stay further, he's straightforward and obviously he got the trip in Chester well. 'You couldn't be happier with him at Chester as we knew it would be plenty sharp enough for him, but he still coped with it and we're looking forward to seeing him run again.'
