Calandagan bounces back with Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud repeat
Calandagan emphatically returned to winning form in Sunday’s Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, producing his trademark late surge to successfully defend his crown and reaffirm his status as one of Europe’s leading middle-distance performers.
The Aga Khan Studs homebred had put in a below-par effort in last month’s Coronation Cup at Epsom, where testing ground blunted his finishing kick. Back on his preferred quick surface, however, the son of Gleneagles looked every inch the elite performer connections know him to be.
Mickael Barzalona settled Calandagan at the rear of the field and the odds-on favourite unleashed a devastating burst of acceleration once angled into the clear, sweeping past his rivals to seize control inside the final furlong.
He held on to score by a neck from Godolphin’s Cualificar, while Sunly continued her progression in third.
Trainer Francis Graffard admitted he had concerns beforehand after the Epsom disappointment.
“I was upset with myself at Epsom and he was on edge and sweating more than usual today, so I was worried,” Graffard told reporters. “In the end, I told Mickael to ride him to suit and trust him. He’s such a good horse—he’s like a greyhound; if you put a rabbit in front of him, he tries to catch it.”
Calandagan is firmly back on course for a return to Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with Graffard expected to assess his recovery before confirming plans.
