Connections are looking forward to seeing Rayif clash with the likes of Talk Of New York, Constitution River, Ten Bob Tony and Zavateri in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
While all the attention has been on stablemate Calandagan building up to Qatar Racing British Champions Day at Ascot, Francis-Henri Graffard and Aga Khan Studs have two other potential big players on the card.
And Rayif is second favourite for the mile Group One as he heads across the Channel at the second attempt following his defeat of Zeus Olympios and Precise in the Prix Jacques Le Marois last time.
Ground conditions are currently good at the Berkshire venue and look set to be quicker than those the meeting is usually held on but that is no cause for concern with the son of Sea The Moon.
“Rayif won the French Guineas on a softish surface, where the two races he won at Deauville have been on fast ground, so he is completely ground indifferent. He’s won on a straight track before, so I don’t think that is a concern for him either,” said Nemone Routh, racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs in France.
The three-year-old hasn’t raced since the August Group One but that was through choice.
“He’s just stayed at home. He did work on the round course with Calandagan a few gallops ago and then he’s just done what we call the Reservoirs, our straight track in Chantilly. He’s had no issues. We didn’t run him back in the Moulin because it was only three weeks after his Jacques Le Marois win and we wanted to give Erdenali a shot at a Group One. He took his opportunity well," Routh added.
“Then we just favoured Samangan in the Foret. Rayif is in good form. He’s only having his fourth run this year, not because he’s had anything major, he was a bit sick before his intended prep run in the Fontainebleau before running in the Poule D’Essai Des Poulains then had two days when he had a bit of a stone bruise which is why he couldn’t ship for the St James’s Palace.
“So he’s never had any proper issues, he’s just had tiny little things that have held him up from running a bit more this year. But he’s in very good form, we’re very happy with him, It’s the first time we’re travelling with him obviously, but he is a very laidback horse so I would not be concerned about the travelling, there is always a question mark there though until they do it.”
Samangan himself could make an appearance too in the Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint although connections are firmly on weather watch with the three-year-old.
“We left Samangan in the Sprint after we had a look at the weather forecast. It wasn’t actually the plan necessarily to come to the Sprint. We would only run him If the ground is fast enough for him. He wouldn’t run if it got soft,” Routh said.
British Champions Day 2026
- David Ord on why William Haggas is backing the underdog
- Ben Linfoot on the big questions heading into Ascot
- Andrew Asquith tackles Champions Day in Weekend View
- Matt Brocklebank reveals his Champions Day shortlist
- William Haggas on his British Champions Day team
- Andrew Balding on his British Champions Day team
- Richard Brown on Wathnan's Ascot team
- Nemone Routh on the Aga Khan Stud's Ascot team
- Tom Fanshawe on Kind Of Blue's Champion Sprint claims
- Trainers' title: Andrew Balding v Aidan O'Brien
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