Two new homebred three year-old stakes-winners overnight for Aga Khan Studs at Longchamp in France with a pair of progressive three year-olds and one of them is a half-sister to the now Australian trained galloper Carini (Fr) and the other is a gelding, so no Classics for him.
The Group III Prix de La Grotte (1600m) for fillies went the way of Frankel filly Candala, who was making her seasonal debut following a win and a second at her only starts at two.
Trained by Francis- Henri Graffard, she hit the line hard to score a narrow win over Starspangledbanner filly Minoushka.
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“I was impatient to see her back at the races, but equally I was not in too much of a hurry as the ground has been very bad so far and also it took her some time to come in her coat and blossom,” said Francis-Henri Graffard.
“So a nice day like today with drier ground was ideal for a seasonal debut and it was the plan to use waiting tactics, as I know she can quicken. She had run well here first time out last year, won well on her second start and had always showed us good things. I'd imagine the Poule d'Essai (G1) will be next. She has every right to be at the start and it will be a test, but we also think that she'll stay further.”
Candala is a half-sister to stakes-placed Carini and is the best of three winners from Group II winning Dalakhani mare Candarliya. She is the 138th stakes-winner for champion sire Frankel.
The Group III Prix Noailles (2100m) was won by Gleneagles gelding Calandagan, who started twice at two for a win and a second and then ran second in a Listed race when returning last month behind Bright Picture. He turned the tables on Bright Picture in this assignment to beat him easily by a length and three-quarters.
“He had come on a lot from his first run this year and I was expecting a good performance,” said Henri-Francis Graffard.
“It was the plan to ride him [from behind] like that, as he can be keen, but he also has a strong acceleration. I like how he behaved when he was challenged by the favourite [Bright Picture], he dug in and found more. I have no idea what will be next. He is a gelding so Classics are not for him, but he is a Group winner now and that is a good point.”
He is the 34th stakes-winner for Galileo stallion Gleneagles and is the best of two winners from Group III placed Sinndar mare Calayana from the family of Group I winner Clodovil.
