Unbeaten Midak to be added to the Derby mix
The late Aga Khan was no stranger to success at Epsom, with one of the most famous Derby winners of all, Shergar, amongst his host of Classic scorers at the Downs track.
His daughter Princess Zahra has now confirmed that Francis Henri-Graffard's unbeaten Midak will tackle the British showpiece as his next assignment after enhancing his reputation at Saint-Cloud in the Prix Greffulhe.
She told Racing TV: 'He's unbeaten in three starts, we know he gets the trip, he's got the right kind of character to be able to handle Tattenham Corner and all the noise that comes with the Epsom Derby.
Midak remains unbeaten with a straight-forward success in the Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud!🇫🇷
Another progressive type for @GraffardRacing and @AgaKhanStuds! pic.twitter.com/Vug9tCfE4f
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 9, 2025
'It's nice to have a runner this year because the race is being run in honour of my father and he's done everything he should to be a valid runner in the Epsom Derby.'
She added: 'When Midak won his last race, I asked Francis 'this is a Jockey Club horse isn't it' and he said 'we can't as you have another runner for that race and there is also another horse in our stable'.
'I then asked 'what are you thinking of doing' and he just looked at me and replied, 'Epsom'. We all thought it would be lovely to have a runner in the race and he has ticked all the boxes and there is no reason not to run him.'
Midak's trainer has been a regular visitor to the UK in recent seasons and landed the King Edward VII Stakes with Calandagan and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Goliath last year.
Calandagan will again visit British shores as part of the Frenchman's Epsom team, but it is the lure of Derby glory that is causing most excitement.
Graffard said: 'The Derby at Epsom is a dream race for me, I have walked the course and my grandfather would always talk to me about the Epsom Derby.
'We have this horse Midak who needed supplementing for either the Prix du Jockey Club or Derby, so I said to Princess Zahra 'you already have two runners in the Jockey Club, so why not give it a go in the Derby'.
'British racing has very kindly named the Derby in honour of His Highness the Aga Khan this year, so we will take our chance.'
Ladbrokes make Midak a 10-1 shot for Classic glory.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Reporter
44 minutes ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Gordon celebrates Testimonial against Sunderland
Sunderland will visit Tynecastle in July as goalkeeper, Craig Gordon, celebrates his Testimonial after 11 years of service with Heart of Midlothian FC. The North-East of England combine have recently reclaimed their slot in the Premiership and testimonial bosses are confident this fixture will prove popular with fans. The date for your diary is July 26 and Gordon said: 'It is a great honour to be granted a testimonial game with the club that I grew up supporting.' The 42-year-old has played for Hearts on more than 300 occasions over two spells. Gordon is also Scotland's fourth-most capped player, holding 81 caps, and he added: 'I've played at the highest level and represented my country, but what fills me with pride the most is pulling on that Hearts jersey and walking out in front of our fans.' The 6ft 4in stopper, who started his career with Currie Boys, played 88 games for Sunderland, who bought him for £9m, then a British transfer record fee for a goalkeeper, and he played for The Black Cats from 2007 to 20012. He said: 'I enjoyed some great times at The Stadium of Light and they hold a special place in my heart.' PICTURE: Craig Gordon at the opening of Hearts' hotel. Courtesy of Heart of Midlothian FC Like this: Like Related
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Arsenal transfer target's awkward Instagram post after £70m bid was rejected
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had the vision of pairing Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo in midfield, but his plans were scuppered after Brighton rejected two bids for the Ecuadorian star Moises Caicedo previously took the unusual approach of going to Instagram to force a move away from Brighton, after having seen a bid rejected for his services from Arsenal. Prior to his British-record £115million transfer to Chelsea in the summer of 2023, the midfielder was subject to interest from Mikel Arteta's side in the January transfer window of that year. Desperate to get his man mid-season, the Gunners boss sanctioned two bids to acquire the Ecuadorian worth £65million and £70million. But both were swiftly rejected by the Seagulls. Despite playing less than 30 games for Brighton at the time, the then-21-year-old impressed massively as he himself made it publicly known that he was already wanting to move on from the club. In a strange move, Caicedo took to Instagram and wrote a message directly to Brighton chairman Tony Bloom following the opening bid to first offer his gratitude to the executive then pleading for him to allow the sale to go through. "I am grateful to Mr. Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them," he wrote. "I always play football with a smile and with heart. I am the youngest of ten siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream is always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador. "I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful. "The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity." Caicedo's poignant message ended up falling on deaf ears as Brighton remained firm and kept onto him for the rest of the season. His Instagram account 'moises_caicedo55' was also nowhere to be found on the social media platform weeks after his message but has since returned. The season ended up being Caicedo's last at Brighton as he ended up the centre of a bidding war between Liverpool and Chelsea in the summer. Despite the Reds having a bid of £110m accepted by the club, the midfielder had given his priority to the west London club who offered a British record of £115m – including add-ons – which was subsequently accepted. Having just finished his second season at Stamford Bridge, Caicedo was the only Chelsea player to start all 38 Premier League games and ended the campaign by scoring in their 4-1 win over Real Betis to win the UEFA Conference League. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Craig Gordon delivers Derek McInnes Hearts verdict and has words for 'incredible' Sunderland fans
Craig Gordon believes the appointment of Derek McInnes will see Hearts return to their roots. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon believes Derek McInnes' appointment as the new head coach at Tynecastle can help the club rediscover their identity after a challenging 2024/25 campaign. Ending the season in the bottom six, a difficult start to the season saw head coach Steven Naismith sacked by the club in September. His replacement Neil Critchley lasted just six months in the post though, after being dismissed following a 1-0 home defeat to Dundee in April, leading to the appointment of the experienced former Kilmarnock and Aberdeen boss McInnes last month. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gordon, 42, will enter his 20th year as a professional next season after putting pen to paper on a one year extension at Hearts last month, and is hopeful that McInnes will take the club back to its roots and mount a challenge for a European place in the season ahead. Derek McInnes can bring the identity back to Hearts, says veteran goalkeeper Craig Gordon. | SNS Group 'I think it's a really good appointment,' said Gordon. 'Exactly what we need. From playing against his teams over the years, it's always a very difficult match, and I think that's exactly what the Hearts fans want us to be as well. I'm looking forward to it, I can't wait for pre-season to begin. We have an awful lot to look forward to. New manager, new players. 'He's [McInnes] been quite public with what he wants, and how he wants Hearts to be, and what he sees his Hearts team looking like. Getting back to being more aggressive, more physical. It's what Hearts fans want to see as well. For us to go out and give absolutely everything for the jersey. That's what him and his coaching staff will instil in the player's going forward. It's what the Hearts fans want to see - and above all, we want to be successful.' On Friday, the club confirmed Gordon will be honoured at Tynecastle with a special testimonial game against his former club Sunderland on July 26, with Hearts supporters likely to be given a glimpse of what to expect from McInnes' team in the season ahead, alongside an opportunity to celebrate the career of their treasured goalkeeper. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Gordon spent five seasons at the Stadium of Light having joined Sunderland for a British record transfer fee of £9million upon their promotion to the English Premier League back in 2007. A club he still holds affection for, the 81-cap Scotland international was delighted to see his former team promoted back to the top flight of English football last month following their 2-1 victory over Sheffield United in the EFL Championship play-off final at Wembley, and believes the visiting fans will make for a great atmosphere when they arrive in the capital for his testimonial. Hearts to Sunderland, 2007/08 'The away fans from Sunderland are just incredible,' said Gordon. 'They'll probably come here and pack out the whole stand. They're loud! A fantastic bunch, I fully enjoyed my time at Sunderland. I'm delighted they're back in the Premier League. It has been a huge battle for them to get there, it's taken a while. But for everybody, and there's a still a few of the coaching staff from my time there. So great for everybody there to be a Premier League club again. 'I was still a very young goalkeeper when I signed for Sunderland. Possibly too young to make that jump. The first couple of years, we were probably scrapping to stay in the league and establish ourselves. The work ethic, the never-say-die attitude he [Roy Keane] instilled, there was so many late goals. The togetherness of the group drove us through those difficult moments, which eventually got us enough points to stay in the league. 'Five years in the Premier League, we were never relegated, and had a few seasons around the middle of the league - we could have perhaps done even better. We had some good teams, and good players. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
