Mickael Barzalona holds the winner's trophy

Mickael Barzalona holds a winner's trophy

Rayif won the Jacques le Marois for Francis Graffard, Aga Khan Studs and Mickael Barzalona

Horse Racing

Sun August 16, 2026 · 2d ago

Rayif, the French 2000 Guineas winner, got the better of his elders in The Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Sunday.

Rayif had been due to take on Bow Echo et al in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot but the Poulains winner didn't travel after picking up a fever. The clash between the two classic winners had been on the cards for this Group 1 only for Bow Echo to be retired earlier in the week.

Comparisons between the pair will have to remain the stuff of discussion but Rayif cemented his own reputation, and quite possibly a position at stud, in bouncing back from his defeat in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat over seven furlongs [1400m] last month.

The 10 strong field initially raced together with 15/8 favourite Precise towards the rear after breaking slowly but the higher numbers began to edge towards the far side of the centre of the track and, one by one the remainder of the field joined them with the exception of the two Japanese trained runners - Sixpence and Strauss - who were left in isolation.

That proved to be the wrong place to be as they failed to get competitive in the mile [1600m] contest and the step back up to a mile may have been too much for Jean Prat winner Thesecretadversary who cut out much of the running only to weaken into sixth.

Zeus Olympios was always to the fore with More Thunder, Sir Tommy Cen and Rayif in the next rank.

Ryan Moore asked Precise for her effort on the near side of the main group and she did make ground but not as quickly as the principals on the opposite side of the pack. Zeus Olympios kept pouring it on in front and neither Precise nor More Thunder could get to the leader but Rayif and Mickael Barzalona picked them off in turn.

Rayif, who was returned at 6/1, prevailed by a neck from Zeus Olympios with half a length back to Precise in third. There was another three quarters of a length back to outsider No Lunch in fourth with More Thunder the same distance away in fifth.

Barzalona and trainer Francis Graffard were winning the Marois for the first time and it was the owner, The Aga Khan Studs, first success in the race since 1973.

RAYIF WINS THE AGA KHAN STUDS PRIX JACQUES LE MAROIS! 🥇@GraffardRacing @mickaelbarzalon @AgaKhanStuds pic.twitter.com/gcTVOiO929
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 16, 2026

When asked how she was feeling, Princess Zahra Aga Khan replied: "A teeny bit embarrassed! No, really. I mean you sponsor a day and......anyway, I'm glad this has been a wonderful day of racing and it's a pleasure to be here and that horse gave all of himself today, he was fantastic."

Speaking on Sky Sports Racing, she said of Rayif: "It's a family that we've added some speed back into and it seems to work. He has an interesting pedigree, he's an interesting horse, he's very good looking and he's very brave."

Graffard commented: "It's a wonderful race to win, a very hard race to win. I kept my confidence in the horse, he ran pretty well the other day and was in top form; over this course you need a perfect trip and he had the perfect trip today.

"He travelled really well. I was hoping Tom Marquand [on More Thunder] was going to pick up a little bit earlier and bring me into the race a bit earlier but my horse really picked up nicely. When he got challenged I was hoping he was going to maintain his advantage and he did, he was very tough at the end.

"He's a very smart horse. He's very laidback at home but he knows what he's doing and he's very game; a lovely horse to be around. He won the Poule d'Essai on very soft ground so everyone was saying he was a soft ground horse but you have to keep trying and these horses, if they are to find their place at stud, they need to be performing at this level.

"As everybody knows the Jacques le Marois is a very famous race, the second most famous race in France after the Arc, so it's a wonderful race to win, especially for the family of The Aga Khan. I'm having a dream job at the moment."

On running plans, Graffard added: "It depends if we decide to go to the Moulin or if we give him time and the Foret could be an option; I wouldn't be afraid to drop him back in distance. There is the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and we know he can handle soft ground. Nemone [Routh, racing manager] always complains to me that I never have a long term plan and I always tell her I just want to see, go step by step, ever race is a goal and an objective and today is a big day."

I thought we'd got it and so did Cliff

Barzalona said of the race: "Once he found his rhythm, he was travelling very easily. I had nice horses in front of me so I knew they would bring me into the race and when I asked him to do the job, he did it very well.

"He won the race in a nice way and it seems he has improved since the Guineas. He's just a very good horse."

Karl Burke, trainer of the runner-up Zeus Olympios, was pleased with his charge, saying: "We thought he had improved, he's getting stronger physically and he's shown that on the track today.

"He's quickened twice there today. The first time I thought we'd got it, then we got challenged again and he quickened again and I thought we'd got it and so did Cliff [Lee, jockey] and the winner, fair play to him, has come and cut us down. Francis can do no wrong.

"I have to watch the replay. I thought he was a little bit tardy at the start which is unusual for him. I'm not using that as an excuse but the plan was to jump and go forward immediately and I don't think he did.

"We'll get him home and see how he is. It's got to be discussed but as a trainer I'm very hopeful he'll stay in training next year and I think he'll continue improving physically and strengthening. So, hopefully if he doesn't win his Group 1 this year, he'll certainly get it next year.

"I'd say the race at Longchamp will probably come a little bit quick for him so, maybe, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot [will be next]."