No excuses from Graffard after Calandagan misses out again
A brilliant winner of the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last summer, the four-year-old went on to give Derby and Eclipse hero City Of Troy a run for his money in the Juddmonte International at York before suffering a narrow defeat behind Anmaat in Ascot's Champion Stakes.
Having picked up the silver medal for the third time in succession on his return to action in the Dubai Sheema Classic in late March, Calandagan was an 8-13 favourite to break his top-level duck on the Surrey Downs but again came off second-best, with Aidan O'Brien's Jan Brueghel keeping him at bay by half a length.
'I don't have any excuses. The horse had the perfect run; Mickael (Barzalona) gave him a ride with plenty of thought. Going down the hill he found himself behind Ryan (Moore, riding Jan Brueghel) and gave the horse plenty of time to balance himself,' said Graffard.
'He challenged him, probably took the lead for a moment and then just as they started to climb again, you could see that Ryan was finding more.
'He's a very talented horse who needs to win a Group One, but I'm sure he will. He always gives his best. I don't have any excuses. It was a good performance from him.'
Considering future plans, the French trainer added: 'He's in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, don't forget he ran in Dubai so hasn't run in France this year.
'Did I do enough at home? I think he was ready, but a tough O'Brien horse beat me, a horse who will keep finding more.'
Barzalona felt Calandagan did not help his cause at the start. He said: 'He's always slowly away, we cannot manage differently with him at the start, but once he found his rhythm I was behind Ryan at Tattenham Corner and I was pretty happy to be there.
'I think I hit the front 100 yards before the line and he kind of just stayed on and got a bit tired going uphill. The O'Brien horse was just a little bit stronger today.
'I hope one day we will be able to break a little bit faster and be able to get a better position earlier, but he has his own rhythm and we'll have to deal with that for the moment.
'He's getting more mature and it's the first time he's run over this kind of different track, so he ran well.'
Seven lengths further behind in third was Marco Botti's Hong Kong Vase hero Giavellotto.
'It was a good run, but they were a couple of proper horses in front of us,' said the Newmarket handler.
'My horse has run with credit, but Aidan said they would go hard and that's the way it turned out.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Royal Ascot Day 5 tips: ITV Racing selections
Saturday – the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot 2025 – features a Group 1 for the sprinters and there is also the Wokingham handicap for the speedsters. Ron Wood has a selection and verdict for all seven races, and it is all live on ITV1 (1.30-6pm) and ITV4 (5.50-6.35pm), as well as Sky Sports Racing. Also, check out these Lucky 15 and each-way suggestions for day four. If you already have a Betano account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use on this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts Royal Ascot Day 5 tips – Ron Wood's selections Nap Saracen (4.20, Ascot) 1pt each-way @ 7/1 with Betano (⅕ odds, 4 places) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Next best Treanmor (2.30, Ascot) 1pt win @ 13/8 with Betano ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Others Rebel's Romance (3.05, Ascot) 1pt win @ 5/2 with Betano ⭐⭐ Topgear (3.40, Ascot) 1pt win @ 8/1 with Betano ⭐⭐ Grand Grey (3.40, Ascot) 0.5pt each-way @ 66/1 with Betano (⅕ odds, 4 places) ⭐⭐ Jarraaf (5.00, Ascot) 1pt each-way @ 8/1 with Betano (⅕ odds, 5 places) ⭐⭐⭐ Zoum Zoum (5.00, Ascot) 1pt win @ 16/1 with Betano ⭐⭐ Seraph Gabriel (5.35, Ascot) 1pt win @ 3/1 with Betano ⭐⭐⭐ El Burhan (5.35, Ascot) 1pt win @ 12/1 with Betano ⭐⭐⭐ Sober (6.10, Ascot) 1pt win @ 10/11 with Betano ⭐⭐⭐ Odds provided by Betano and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (maximum five). 2.30, Ascot – Chesham Stakes (Listed, 7f) An interesting two-year-old event featuring a filly for Aidan O'Brien, Moments Of Joy, who won the same Leopardstown maiden on her debut as last year's highly impressive winner of this race, Bedtime Story. Charlie Appleby's TREANMOR (next best) is a promising colt. Moments Of Joy had to work hard on her debut – and while she is open to a lot of improvement, preference is for the Godolphin runner. Treanmor won so easily in a 6f Newmarket novice on his debut. The form has been let down, but there is no doubt at all that this is a smart horse, as he should be for €2m as a yearling. The worry is that Moments Of Joy could outstay him, as her debut win came over 7f and Treanmor evidently has a lot of speed. But the selection is by Frankel out of a 7f Listed winner, so the trip should be fine for him, and he just looks really good. Selection: Treanmor 1pt win @ 13/8 with Betano Go to site > 3.05, Ascot – Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2, 1m 4f) REBEL'S ROMANCE, a seven-time winner at the highest level, could be on the downgrade now, but he most recently won the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup narrowly from Epic Poet, who was getting 5lb, and now meets that horse off level weights. This Charlie Appelby-trained seven-year-old will not mind the drop back in trip and he is taken to have too much for his rivals in what is an ordinary running of the Hardwicke. 3.40, Ascot – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1, 6f) This is a cracking race featuring form lines from around the world and maybe TOPGEAR, from France, can take it. He improved last season, his first campaign with trainer Christopher Head, with the drop to 7f seeing him win two lesser Group races, notably the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket – by five-and-a-half lengths – on his only previous start in Britain. He resumed with a 7f Group 3 success at Longchamp in May, defeating Sajir, who reopposes. Third-placed King Gold won a 7f Longchamp Group 3 on Thursday and fourth-placed Lake Forest was fifth in the Group 1 Queen Anne at Ascot on Tuesday. Topgear has to prove he is fast enough, now down in trip, but he won his three starts over 6f to 6½f as a two-year-old, including a Group 3, and this is a stiff 6f. A small each-way bet on GRAND GREY is also suggested. This lightly raced ex-French runner did well for second behind Sajir in the 6f Group 3 Abernant Stakes at Newmarket, on his British debut, considering the race did not unfold to suit his off-the-pace style, and he had no chance after blowing the start at the Curragh in his previous outing. This test should suit him. Selection: Grand Grey 0.5pt each-way @ 66/1 with Betano (⅕ odds, 4 places) 4.20, Ascot – Jersey Stakes (Group 3, 7f) There is still better to come from SARACEN (nap). He won a 6f Curragh maiden by four lengths on his sole juvenile start and was still raw when third in the 7f Group 3 Greenham at Newbury on his reappearance. That race did not unfold to suit and he was beaten by two horses with Group 1 form. Saracen ran at Newbury so his connections could see whether he was one for the French 2,000 Guineas or the Jersey, and he turns up in the latter race with strong-looking claims, looking a fair wager to at least place. Selection: Saracen 1pt each-way @ 7/1 with Betano (⅕ odds, 4 places) Go to site > 5.00, Ascot – Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap, 6f) JARRAAF won a couple of handicaps over course and distance on good and quick ground last year and there was nothing wrong with his reappearance fourth in a Salisbury Listed race. Khaadem was third in the same Salisbury race before winning the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in 2023. And this year's Salisbury third, Annaf, runs in the QEII Jubilee. Jarraaf finished two places behind ZOUM ZOUM at Salisbury, but went through the race like the better horse and, having done his running and probably being in need of the outing, just faded a little late. Still, an interest in Zoum Zoum is also advised, as he is a significantly bigger price and the Salisbury race just looks worth buying into. Selection: Jarraaf 1pt each-way @ 8/1 with Betano (⅕ odds, 5 places) 5.35, Ascot – Golden Gates Handicap (Class 2, 1m 2f) There are also a couple of horses of interest in this one, starting with EL BURHAN. He did well to win a competitive Chester handicap over just 7½f on his reappearance and is open to improvement over this longer trip for trainer George Boughey, who had the winner of this race in 2022. The other is SERAPH GABRIEL, who shaped well when second in a mile handicap at Sandown on his seasonal return. The Sandown winner, Fifth Column, 'won' his race on the wrong side of the track in the Britannia at Ascot on Thursday, and Seraph Gabriel has been saved for this meeting since Sandown. 6.10, Ascot – Queen Alexandra Stakes (Class 2, 2m 5 ½f) The final selection of Royal Ascot 2025 is SOBER. He was a dual Group 2-winning stayer on the Flat in France in 2023 and most recently won over hurdles – over 2m 4f – on his debut for Willie Mullins. He has never tried as far as this trip (2m 5½f), but he looks like having too much for his rivals. Selection: Sober 1pt win @ 10/11 with Betano Today's UK and Irish racing (Flat unless stated) Redcar 1.10-4.45 Limerick 1.50-5.20 Newmarket 2.03-5.05 Down Royal 2.08-5.40 Ascot 2.30-6.10 Bangor (NH) 3.55-7.30 Ayr 4.10-8.08 Lingfield 5.45-8.55 Haydock 6.00-8.45 Ascot course guide Ascot is a right-handed circuit of roughly one mile six furlongs in length that joins a mile-long straight track. The two share a home straight and the round circuit is used for longer races such as the Gold Cup, which is run over 2m 4f. A good tactical position can be key on the round course, because once the field makes the final turn into the home straight, runners will want to be well placed for the final dash. There can be draw biases on the vast straight track, which is used for all the sprint races, because one part of the course may be quicker than another, or, if the runners split into different groups, there may be more pace in one of the bunches than another. What does nap mean? Nap is a word used in betting circles to describe a prediction that a tipster thinks has a particularly strong chance of winning. Many horse racing tipsters pick out a 'nap of the day', which is their favoured selection from all the races across the different meetings. The term nap derives from the French card game Napoleon. When players of this game thought they had a particularly strong hand that they would win with they would shout 'Napoleon'. Ron Wood 2025 horse racing P/L (up to and including Thursday June 19) Star ratings explained ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy ⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims ⭐⭐ - tentative choice ⭐ - minimum confidence
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Time For Sandals pulls off Commonwealth Cup shock
The Newmarket handler struck for the very first time in Group One company with Docklands in the Queen Anne Stakes and wasted little time doubling that tally with a filly who was registering just her second career victory – and first since her debut last year. Sent off at 25-1 in the hands of Richard Kingscote, she cruised to the front on the far side with a furlong to run and showed great resolve to edge out Arizona Blaze by a neck with the supplemented Rayevka half a length further back in third. 'It's the first time she's had a fast horse to follow, I don't want to say (we were) very confident, but we felt like we hadn't seen the best from her for one reason or another,' said Eustace. 'The voice is in dire straits, I can assure you of that! She's always shaped to be pretty good and at home we felt we had excuses for her; she never ran a bad one, she was always right there but hadn't quite put it all together. 'We were always confident in a race like this where there would be fast horses taking her along, that's really what she needed; don't get me wrong, we didn't dream that we'd get here, but she was always pretty good.' He added: 'It's been extraordinary (the meeting), but that's the team at home, it's all the little things all the way through and I can't thank them enough. The owners will be in there, they're relatively new, this is the second ever horse they've had and they're pretty lucky people.' Kingscote – who won the Derby for Sir Michael Stoute on Desert Crown in 2022 – said: 'I've had nice horses to ride since Sir Michael retired, it was always going to be a year of building back up, I had a nice bit of support and I'm delighted to get on a filly like her. 'Last year she was a very unlucky placed horse in the Super Sprint and she progressed all the way through. She was unlucky last time I felt. 'She did a spectacular piece of work a couple of weeks ago at Newmarket and I'm delighted to ride Harry a big winner because he's a gentleman and his yard is such a happy yard. 'I'm delighted, he's a lovely man and his staff are always so positive and happy so it's great to get them a nice winner. He's only just trained his 100th winner, so I'd say two Group Ones at Royal Ascot is pretty special to him.' Arizona Blaze may have been 28-1, but did not surprise trainer Adrian Murray with his huge performance, with the Irish handler now eyeing a tilt at York's Nunthorpe Stakes later in the summer. 'Big run, but he never runs a bad race. He always turns up on the day so I'm delighted with him,' said Murray. 'He's very reliable. When he came home the last day he was a bit flat within himself, so he probably was a bit under the weather when he ran, we put that behind us and we were very confident of a good run. 'It was a huge price, I couldn't believe it! 'I think we'll go for the Nunthorpe, he's in the July Cup as well but I think we'll look at York.'
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Time For Sandals pulls off Commonwealth Cup shock
The Newmarket handler struck for the very first time in Group One company with Docklands in the Queen Anne Stakes and wasted little time doubling that tally with a filly who was registering just her second career victory – and first since her debut last year. Sent off at 25-1 in the hands of Richard Kingscote, she cruised to the front on the far side with a furlong to run and showed great resolve to edge out Arizona Blaze by a neck with the supplemented Rayevka half a length further back in third. 'It's the first time she's had a fast horse to follow, I don't want to say (we were) very confident, but we felt like we hadn't seen the best from her for one reason or another,' said Eustace. 'The voice is in dire straits, I can assure you of that! She's always shaped to be pretty good and at home we felt we had excuses for her; she never ran a bad one, she was always right there but hadn't quite put it all together. 'We were always confident in a race like this where there would be fast horses taking her along, that's really what she needed; don't get me wrong, we didn't dream that we'd get here, but she was always pretty good.' He added: 'It's been extraordinary (the meeting), but that's the team at home, it's all the little things all the way through and I can't thank them enough. The owners will be in there, they're relatively new, this is the second ever horse they've had and they're pretty lucky people.' Kingscote – who won the Derby for Sir Michael Stoute on Desert Crown in 2022 – said: 'I've had nice horses to ride since Sir Michael retired, it was always going to be a year of building back up, I had a nice bit of support and I'm delighted to get on a filly like her. 'Last year she was a very unlucky placed horse in the Super Sprint and she progressed all the way through. She was unlucky last time I felt. 'She did a spectacular piece of work a couple of weeks ago at Newmarket and I'm delighted to ride Harry a big winner because he's a gentleman and his yard is such a happy yard. 'I'm delighted, he's a lovely man and his staff are always so positive and happy so it's great to get them a nice winner. He's only just trained his 100th winner, so I'd say two Group Ones at Royal Ascot is pretty special to him.' Arizona Blaze may have been 28-1, but did not surprise trainer Adrian Murray with his huge performance, with the Irish handler now eyeing a tilt at York's Nunthorpe Stakes later in the summer. 'Big run, but he never runs a bad race. He always turns up on the day so I'm delighted with him,' said Murray. 'He's very reliable. When he came home the last day he was a bit flat within himself, so he probably was a bit under the weather when he ran, we put that behind us and we were very confident of a good run. 'It was a huge price, I couldn't believe it! 'I think we'll go for the Nunthorpe, he's in the July Cup as well but I think we'll look at York.'
