Princess Zahra Aga Khan was brimming with delight after watching Calandagan win the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday.
It was a sixth top level success for Calandagan who won the same race in 2025 before going on to land the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Champion Stakes and the Japan Cup.
Princess Zahra spoke to Sky Sports Racing following the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and was delighted to see Calandagan put a poor run at Epsom behind him.
"It's wonderful to see him back where he is, it's wonderful to see him find himself again," she said.
"He's a horse who has his own running style, he doesn't shoot out of the starting gates, he takes his time but he's so dominant and he wants to get in front - if there's another horse in front of him, he'll do anything he can."
Asked whether she enjoyed watching Calandagan's races, Princess Zahra replied: "It's a very delicate balance between pleasure - because you trust the horse and you've watched him do it and know he can - and being terrified so it's a real balance between enjoying the race and thinking this is Calandagan he can do this and thinking he's miles back, what is he going to do?"
Some observers questioned Calandagan's resolve after he was beaten by Jan Brueghel in the 2025 renewal of the Coronation Cup and the gelding had his doubters again after finishing 42 lengths behind Bay City Roller at Epsom in June but his owner was not concerned.
"I think he's had a long enough racing career that I wasn't worried," she continued.
"He's a battle-hardened horse, there was a worry that it might have knocked his confidence but he's raced around the world, he's had up days and down days, he's won and not won so, I, personally, wasn't too worried, it was a very odd raceday and it wasn't his conditions.
"I think it's rewarding for the horse [to win], not for me, for the whole team, for the breeding team, for the stables team - everybody is with that horse in their heads and in their hearts.
"The fact that he's a gelding means hopefully, inshallah, he can keep going and become a bit of a fixture but obviously one is absolutely over the moon with pride to have a horse like him."
Calandagan truly announced himself on the world stage when becoming a rare European winner of the Japan Cup in November and Princess Zahra was asked if he would be following the same path in 2026 and, in light of the recent decision [which has yet to be ratified] to allow geldings to run in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe from 2027, whether that race would be on his agenda.
"This is not my job but that's the general idea," she laughed.
"I think that not being able to run in the Arc made us think outside the box and I think he had a very good year and I'm agnostic about that decision, personally I don't have a preference; it's not a Classic, it's a fantastic race but it's not a Classic.
"I think ultimately it was the right decision when you go through the eight or 12 geldings this year who have proven themselves to be top of the market it's a good decision.
"Are we going to run Calandagan in the Arc in 2027?
"I don't know!"
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