“Wor Faayth makes the 900-mile journey worth it for the Ellison yard”

A review of the 2-year-old debutantes races at Chantilly on Sunday, where both winners made striking impressions.

A 4/1 winner with Pen and Sword in the opening race on Friday kept the show on the road and so as we reach the end of the Vichy Summer Festival, I have a couple of final selections on Saturday mornings card.

Given the way she travels into her races, the stronger early pace that she is likely to encounter in the UK should suit and once she has acclimatised, I expect her to add further wins to her CV.

"there’s no reason to think that she won’t be able to add further success in Group company to her CV before the end of the year".

Mont de Soleil is a very capable performer at this level and the fact that he has now won over 2,000m does open some further options to him. However, we know an awful lot about the horses that he has beaten and neither of them can be considered to be improving types.

Horses don't often win French maidens in the manner that Special Wood won this race....

On this evidence, he will be hard to beat wherever he goes next time.

"She showed more than enough in front to suggest that she will be capable of holding her own when she returns to pattern company"

"He should be a contender for the better juvenile races over a mile and beyond in the autumn."

"Graffard again, Allez Allez". It's been a brilliant season so far for the Aga Khan stud and their principle trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.

The phrase “he deserved one” is not one of my favourite points in racing as it would usually imply that a horse has found ways not to win, but in hindsight, it applies perfectly to Calandagan.

A 3-length defeat behind the Oaks runner-up Whirl and Kalpana is close to a career best for this daughter of Churchill...

"She took her form to a new level last week and should find plenty of other opportunities in the future".

There were plenty of other French runners at the Royal meeting in 2025 and although Lazzat was the only winner, there are reasons to be positive about several performances

Goliath returned to winning ways in La Coupe at Paris Longchamp on Sunday. The race has been won by the likes of Cirrus des Aigles, No Risk at All and Robin of Navan. It was a good piece of placement, but other than confirming his fitness, we didn't learn a great deal more about him. Here's why;

Midak is the more likely of the French pair, but all of the media attention on Francis-Henri Graffard’s Colt has overshadowed that fact that Juddmonte have also chosen to send a runner from France.

Early speed and the ability to quicken around a bend will mean that there are lots of options open to a 2-year-old filly like her.

The Prix Stanley has become a "stallion" race in recent years. This year's winner is a gelding, so that trend won't be added to, but he's a very good 3-year-old hurdler all the same.

I’m a great believer that you don’t know how good a horse is until it’s been beaten.