Latest news with #FrancisHenriGraffard
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
The Epsom Derby is a national event and should be given a stand-alone slot like the FA Cup final - not squashed into a crammed schedule, writes DOMINIC KING
Francis-Henri Graffard is one of the world's leading trainers, devoting his life to racing. But in a quiet moment yesterday, he was simply a starstruck fan. Standing on the finishing line, having just walked Epsom's rollercoaster course, he handed his phone to a passer-by and asked for the moment to be captured. This would be the equivalent of Virat Kohli walking into the Long Room at Lord's and requesting a photograph. 'It's the most famous winning post in the world!' Graffard explained to Mail Sport with a smile. 'I needed a good picture! My passion came from my grandfather. I was hooked. Then one day he gave me Federico Tesio's book about the Derby. That was it. It's the race.' It really is. It's the reason racing exists — breeders have been working for 245 years to hone the perfect animal for this test and the sound of the hooves of its greatest winners, from Nijinsky to Shergar to Galileo and Sea The Stars, still thunder through the ages. Tesio, an Italian breeder who lived from 1859 to 1954, said something so profound about the Derby that his quote adorns a wall in the Tipperary offices of Coolmore, the world-renowned bloodstock operation. 'The thoroughbred exists because its selection has depended, not on experts, technicians or zoologists, but on a piece of wood,' said Tesio. 'The winning post of the Epsom Derby.' This is a national event, sporting theatre that should be treated with reverence. Yet, today, when Chantilly-based Graffard's runner Midak and 2,000 Guineas winner Ruling Court line up with 17 others, the Derby is squashed into a crammed schedule like it is betting shop fodder. Between 3pm and 4pm, there are four other races around the country — two at Musselburgh, two at Worcester. It is an embarrassment for fixture planners and selfish racecourses that a National Hunt bumper, worth just £2,451 to the winner, will be staged 15 minutes after the Derby starts. There is a desire to make the Derby the event it once was, when thousands lined up on Tattenham Hill, and one way to do that would be to have the common sense to make Epsom the only card of the day. No all-weather action, no pointless summer jumping — get all eyes and interest where it matters. It is 30 years since the first seismic change was made to the Derby, shifting it from its once traditional place on a Wednesday to a Saturday, but the time has come to consider another: for one day in the summer, there should be only one card. Think about it. You remember FA Cup finals as they were stand-alone events, why can't this be the same? Watching Ryan Moore, the world's best jockey, possibly light up Epsom on favourite Delacroix will stay in your mind — you would forget the winner of the Worcester bumper before the day is out. Something must be done. Brian Finch, Epsom's impressive chairman, is determined to put sheen back on this fixture — and listening to the passion with which Graffard spoke underlined why the Derby still holds wonder. 'When I worked in England (for Sheik Mohammed's Darley Operation), I came here to walk around Epsom,' said Graffard. 'It was so impressive! A horse needs so many qualities to be competitive in this race. As a trainer, it is a privilege to be able to send a horse to contest it.' Midak, for the record, was supplemented to the Derby field at a cost of £75,000. He will carry the fabled green silks of the late Aga Khan, in whose memory this year's race will be run. 'My horse has everything to prove,' he said. 'He was late maturing, mentally and physically, but he comes here spot on. Let's see what happens.'
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Midak bids to deliver poignant victory in ‘Aga Khan's' Epsom Derby
The imperious Shergar and Harzand book ended the late Aga Khan IV's five Epsom Derby winners and on Saturday Midak can provide a poignant win in the race which is named in his honour this year. Adding to the potential for a fairy tale, Midak is prominent French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard's first runner in the race considered to be the 'blue riband' of flat racing. The Aga Khan, for decades a leading owner-breeder of thoroughbreds and whose grandfather Aga Khan III also won the Derby five times, died aged 88 in February. Graffard, 48, says it is coincidental the 'historic' Aga Khan colours – a green top with red epaulettes and a green cap – will be represented. Midak impressed Graffard so much he persuaded Aga Khan Studs to pay £75,000 (HK$798,500) to supplement him for the race on Monday. 'When I came up with the idea of entering him I did not know it was being renamed in his honour,' said Graffard. Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard (centre) at Sha Tin in April. Photo: Kenneth Chan 'Circumstances have colluded, it is great. It makes me even more excited. Definitely makes the fact Midak is running even more special. They are prestigious and historic racing colours.' HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. Graffard said triumphing at his first attempt would be magical for the Aga Khan's family. 'Yes, you dream about these days,' he said. 'However, we know how hard it is to win Group One races, especially a Derby. 'It is my first runner in the race, we will learn plenty of things and hopefully come back in the future.' Midak will face 18 rivals as he bids to become only the fourth French winner of the Derby in the past 60 years. Graffard has won one classic for Aga Khan Studs this season, Zarigana benefiting from Shes Perfect's disqualification in the French 1,000 Guineas, prompting unsavoury behaviour from the latter's owners who yelled 'It's a joke' at the Aga Khan's daughter Princess Zahra as she was interviewed. The Aga Khan addresses an audience in 2015. Photo: AP Graffard, 54, has been heavily involved in the racing operation for many years. Although he was assistant trainer for a couple of years to Alain de Royer Dupre, the Aga's principal trainer until he retired in 2021, his encounters with him were rare. 'Unfortunately I only met him twice,' said Graffard. 'I would have loved to have gone racing with him and learned from his experience. 'However, Princess Zahra is very experienced and it is really interesting to make plans with her.' This teamwork has resulted in them entering Midak and pitting their wits against Delacroix – bidding to give Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien a record-extending 11th winner – and father-son partnership John and Thady Gosden's Damysus. Midak might never have even been a contender given that Graffard at one point considered gelding him – geldings are barred from running in the Derby – owing to his 'tricky temperament'. Midak remains unbeaten with a straight-forward success in the Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud!🇫🇷 Another progressive type for @GraffardRacing and @AgaKhanStuds! — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 9, 2025 'He was really difficult to train,' said Graffard. 'But I decided I would take him to the races before I resorted to [gelding him] and see how he fared. 'In his second race at Chantilly he was very green and jumped the road crossing the track, but he ended up winning nicely.' Things went smoother on his last start, winning the Group Three Prix Greffulhe (2,100m) – the same race that Pour Moi, France's last winner of the Derby in 2011, also captured. 'He ran much more professionally,' said Graffard. 'He is basically improving all the time.' Graffard says this season has only underlined that he made the right decision in opting to become a trainer rather than pursuing a career as a lawyer. 'It is a little bit crazy to think in the next fortnight we have two runners at Epsom then the Prix Diane and after that Royal Ascot,' he said. 'It is the dream job.'
South China Morning Post
12-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Zarigana takes Pouliches in stewards' room to give Francis-Henri Graffard back-to-back wins
Mickael Barzalona was on target in the Group One Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1,600m). Photo: Kenneth Chan Zarigana snatched the Group One Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (1,600m) in the stewards' room for Francis-Henri Graffard to deny Charlie Fellowes his first Group One success with British raider Shes Perfect. Sent off the $1.8 favourite, Zarigana was settled in midfield by Mickael Barzalona and looked to be travelling ominously well as Shes Perfect led the field into the straight. Shes Perfect was all heart under pressure, but drifted to her left in the final furlong and gave a small bump to both Exactly and Zarigana, who was making her challenge down the middle of the track. Zarigana wins the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in the stewards' room! 🏆 — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 11, 2025 Kieran Shoemark managed to eek out enough aboard Shes Perfect to scramble home, but the stewards deemed there to be sufficient contact to uphold a protest and provide Graffard with a second straight French 1,000 Guineas. Zarigana headlined a one-three for the trainer, who also had Mandanaba finish third ahead of Aidan O'Brien's Exactly, who was squeezed out approaching the final 100m. There were no such hard luck stories for O'Brien in the Group One Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1,600m), with the $3.4 favourite Henri Matisse breaking the track record on the way to a second top-level success. Henri Matisse takes the Poule d'Essai des Poulains!🏆 — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 11, 2025 It was a typically cool ride by Ryan Moore, who settled the Wootton Bassett colt towards the rear before making his challenge with 500m left. Once hitting top gear, the pair sprinted into the lead in the final 100m and fended off a late challenge from fellow Briton Jonquil to win by a rapidly diminishing head. It was a race dominated by the British and Irish, with five of the top six home trained on that side of the English Channel. 【🇯🇵 NHK Mile Cup (G1), Tokyo, 1600m, 3yo No Geldings, approx US$ 2m】 Winner: Panja Tower(JPN) J: Kohei Matsuyama T: Shinsuke Hashiguchi Sire: Tower of London Dam: Clarksdale#NHKマイルカップ は、#パンジャタワー が優勝！！ — JRA World Racing (@JRA_WorldRacing) May 11, 2025 Meanwhile, Panja Tower caused a $45 shock in the Group One NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo Racecourse, fending off Magic Sands to win for in-form trainer Shinsuke Hashiguchi. Kohei Matsuyama found himself buried away in midfield after the break aboard Panja Tower and when the field turned for home, he was forced to make his challenge wide. That proved no barrier to success, however, as they thundered down the outside to complete the boilover. The $2.6 favourite, Admire Zoom, was a bitter disappointment, with the Group One Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (1,600m) winner only managing 14th of 18 runners.
