ParisLongchamp Sunday

Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Group 1)

IT’S when even the ones that you don’t fancy start winning that you know that you’re in the middle of a genuine purple patch. Since he landed the English 1000 Guineas, Aidan O’Brien has been enjoying a very strong spell, carrying all before him at Chester and winning classic trials at Chantilly and Lingfield.

But there was the odd disappointment thrown in and, when Puerto Rico lined up as his main contender in last Sunday’s Group 1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp, his 12 opponents included one from an owner-breeder operation which was in even better form.

When Rayif came out of the stalls in this colts’ classic, 15 of the most recent 21 horses to carry the famous emerald green and red epaulette silks of the Aga Khan’s Studs had been triumphant, those victories in a three-week spell including a Group 1, two Group 3s and four listed races.

Rayif took that score to a barely credible 16 from 22 even though, beforehand, his connections were noticeably downbeat about his chances. They had doubts on four fronts. His fitness: on his first start for seven months having been forced to miss his intended seasonal debut.

His stamina to stay a mile: just three hours earlier his half-sister, Rayevka, had proved just how much speed was in their blood when rocketing home to land the five-furlong Group 3 Prix de Saint-Georges with great authority.

Ground concerns

His aptitude to perform on testing ground: it had been raining for most of the afternoon since Rayevka had put on her show and the official going had already been changed from ‘soft’ to ‘very soft’.

And his ability to turn the tables on Puerto Rico: a colt who had finished almost four lengths in front of him on their respective most recent appearance in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere back in October.

Despite all these misgivings, Rayif gave little reason for anxiety during the race. Helped by his draw against the inside rail, he was able to track Karl Burke’s front-running British raider Hankelow with Puerto Rico also in close proximity to his outside.

Jockey Mickael Barzalona was able to take advantage of the false rail cutaway to slip through on the inside with just over a quarter of a mile to run and, though he needed to be firmly ridden to get past the leader at the furlong marker, he soon established a one-length lead and maintained that advantage all the way to the line.

Andre Fabre’s Komorebi came from a little further back than the other principals to deprive Hankelow of second place close home while Puerto Rico, who seemed to be treading water early in the home straight, stuck to his task admirably to take fourth, just a length and a half behind the winner.

Ascot assignment

Successful trainer Francis Graffard, who had been responsible for all but one of the Aga Khan’s Studs winners in the previous three weeks, said: “We were fortunate to have a good draw and everything unfolded perfectly.

“My horses are performing at a very high level at present and it’s hugely satisfying. Provided Rayif comes out of the race well he will probably run next in the St James’s Palace Stakes.”

Komorebi and Hankelow are both set to step up in trip and meet again in the Prix du Jockey Club while O’Brien said of Puerto Rico: “He was a bit rusty. The initial plan was for him to run in the 2000 Guineas a week ago, he was ready to peak for that and he might have just have lost his edge in the days since. The penny just didn’t seem to drop for him until the race was over.”

It subsequently transpired that O’Brien is hoping to aim both Puerto Rico and the 2000 Guineas runner-up, Gstaad, at the St James’s Palace Stakes. Presuming that Bow Echo will also be part of the line-up, that Royal Ascot contest should be an absolute humdinger.

Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Group 1)

EVER gracious in defeat, Aidan O’Brien was quick to congratulate Francis Graffard and Princess Zahra Aga Khan after the Poulains. But, if the faces of the Coolmore team were a little glum at that point, 35 minutes later their smiles had returned, albeit accompanied by raindrops dripping from their noses.

For, by the time the Group 1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches was run, the steady downpour had become almost torrential and the going had been changed a second time to ‘holding’. The inclement conditions seemed to make little difference to O’Brien’s unbeaten odds-on favourite, Diamond Necklace, who used the same template for success as Rayif.

After racing against the rail just a touch further back in fifth place, Ryan Moore’s mount dived down the inside at what the locals call the ‘open stretch’ and moved past the British-trained leader to hit the front with a furlong and a half to run. Another unbeaten filly, The Last Dance, took up the chase a furlong from home and was clearly best of the rest, but Diamond Necklace powered to the line with a three-length advantage.

Better than bare form

Green Spirit, who had got to within a length of the winner when they filled the top two places in last season’s Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, was forced to come from 15th and last owing to her draw on the complete outside.

So her never-nearer third place, another length and a half adrift, deserves to be upgraded.

O’Brien said: “Diamond Necklace has improved a lot from two to three just like her dad [St Mark’s Basilica]. She’s very cool with a lot of natural ability. She’s got an unbelievable pedigree and is very exciting, we’re so lucky to have her.

“Her dad won here before coming back to land the French Derby, so we’ve had it in our heads that she might do the same and come back for the Prix de Diane.”

Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, who had partnered the winner twice last autumn when Moore was injured, The Last Dance reflected great credit on her trainers, Carlos and Yann Lerner. “Christophe has been telling me for a while that we couldn’t beat Diamond Necklace but we gave it a good go,” said Yann.

ILL at ease on the sodden surface, Narissa was unable to continue Francis Graffard’s astonishing run in the Pouliches but ran perfectly respectably to finish fourth. The Graffard juggernaut had suffered a more unexpected blow earlier in the afternoon when his Juddmonte homebred Gilded Prize, ridden by Colin Keane, failed miserably to justify odds-on favouritism in the Group 2 Camille Pissarro Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary, finishing last but one.

Allowed an uncontested lead for a third straight race, the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux heroine, Concorde Agreement, lengthened her giant stride round the home bend and looked to have her five opponents in trouble, in particular the 11/1 outsider, Lapotheose, who was scrubbed along at the back of the pack.

But jockey Alexis Pouchin suddenly began to get a positive response from the Yann Barberot-trained Lapotheose, who is a daughter of Wootton Bassett. And, seeing out the mile-and-a-quarter trip strongly, they moved past Concorde Agreement in the last half-furlong to score by a length.

“Lapotheose has a long acceleration rather than a single burst of speed so I don’t think that the Prix de Diane would suit her,” Barberot said afterwards. “She surprises me every time that she runs, hence she doesn’t have any grand entries. Physically, she’s not yet the finished article and she’ll be a much better filly in the autumn.”