Calandagan gained a deserved success

Daryz retains unbeaten record | Calandagan wins Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Sun June 29, 2025 · 6M ago

Calandagan (10/11 favourite) routed his rivals in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud to gain a deserved success.

Calandagan has had some mud thrown at him after finishing second in four consecutive top flight contests but answered his critics with a dominant display.

Five went to post for the 2400m [mile and a half] contest but it was a top class line-up. Goliath jumped smartly but allowed Junko to head him and the field proceeded to race in single file with Aventure third, ahead of Calandagan and Iresine.

The order remained unchanged racing into the straight but then the race quickly changed complexion.

Goliath failed to give his running and dropped out very tamely having returned to form at the start of the month and it was left to Aventure to try and race with Calandagan.

The mare, ultimately, was readily brushed aside as Calandagan pulled clear to win by an impressive looking three and a half lengths.

It was a first Group 1 win for Calandagan and the Aga Khan Studs' racing manager Nemone Routh was quick to pay credit to the gelded son of Gleaneagles.

“He's such a consistent horse who always runs his race and we were a bit upset when people started talking about cheekpieces and blinkers after his last run,” he told thoroughbredailynews.com.

“He might have needed that race [Epsom], as he hadn't run for a few months and he's better on this good ground. This was a proper field and he really, really deserved this win.

"We thought if he ran well today the King George is the plan if we have good firm ground. This is a confidence booster–he's run so many good races in defeat in different countries on different ground and it was nice to give him a race at home.”

Daryz dazzles to set up Arc tilt

It was a good day for the owner, their retained rider Mikael Barzalona and trainer Francis-Henri Graffard who had earlier combined with Daryz (10/11 favourite) who made it four wins in as many starts when beating Bay City Roller in the Prix Eugene Adam.

Daryz only made his debut in April over 2000m [10 furlongs] at Paris-Longchamp. His next two starts - in a conditions race and then at listed level - came over the same course and distance and saw the three-year-old Sea The Stars colt take each challenge in his stride.

Stepped up to Group 2 level, Daryz was settled in midfield as Scorthy Champ (trained by Joseph O'Brien) and Bay City Roller (George Scott) controlled the tempo. That pair turned on the gas passing the 400m [two furlong] mark with Bay City Roller soon going on but in his slipstream Barzalona was just starting to get serious and Daryz soon hit his stride and the front, winning more comfortably than a distance of three parts of a length suggests.

Graffard was reported by thoroughbreddailynews.com as saying: “We have high expectations of him and we are very pleased with the result of the race. We really like him, today was an interesting test and he performed again. There was very little pace in the race and it became very tactical, so it was good that he managed to get his head in front.

"I think, mentally and physically, there is plenty of improvement to come and he is not quite the finished article. I thought he might be a possible for the Grand Prix de Paris, but I didn't to step him up in trip just yet.

"I don't think we'll see him again over the summer and he is obviously a candidate for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. We have taken it step by step with him, he will stay a mile-and-a-half, but first he needs to learn to settle.”

Daryz was cut to 12/1 for the October highlight by Paddy Power, alongside Ombudsman and only behind Saturday's Pretty Polly winner Whirl, Sosie and Lambourn (due to run later on Sunday) who are all quoted at 10/1.

Daryz retains unbeaten record | Calandagan wins Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud

Daryz dazzles to set up Arc tilt

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