Erdenali headlined a winning day for the Aga Khan Stud with a scintillating display in the Group One Prix du Moulin at Parislongchamp, supported by successes from Varandir and stable star Daryz Erdenali graduated to the highest level in impressive style when proving too strong for the raiding party in the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. A strong British and Irish contingent went to post for the Group One contest, with Aidan O’Brien’s Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Gstaad the hot favourite ahead of Charlie Appleby’s Opera Ballo and the Ed Walker-trained Ten Bob Tony. Unlike that trio, Francis-Henri Graffard’s Erdenali was unproven in Group One company, but he had looked an exciting prospect in winning his first three starts and was an unlucky loser when third in a Group Three on his most recent outing. With Opera Ballo taken on for the lead by Gstaad’s pacemaker Dorset, Appleby’s charge was a spent force entering the final furlong, at which stage Erdenali and the shock Queen Anne winner Ten Bob Tony moved up to dispute the lead.
Erdenali was always getting the better of that particular battle, however, and the pair drew clear of Gstaad, who never threatened to land a telling blow and was ultimately a bit disappointing in third. Nemone Routh, French racing manager and director for winning owners Aga Khan Studs, told Sky Sports Racing: “We were wondering if he was going to the Arc sale or not after this, but I don’t think we will now! “He’s not a horse that shows very much in the morning – if you’d seen him work this week you wouldn’t have been particularly impressed, but it all comes together in the afternoon. “He should have been unbeaten – he should have won that Group Three very easily, we had just a nightmare trip.
“It was always the plan to come here; we needed to find out if he was a Group One horse and I think he’s done that quite resoundingly.” Erdenali is Coral’s new 2-1 favourite for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot, but with connections fortunate enough to have several horses in the same division, plans are on hold for the time being. “We have some other horses for the Prix de la Foret – we have Samangan if the ground doesn’t get too soft and we have Rayif, who might go to the QEII,” Routh added. “I think Erdenali is in the QEII as well and we were thinking of taking him to Keeneland for a race after this, but we might have to rethink now. “He’s definitely shown us he’s a Group One horse.” Walker said of the runner-up Ten Bob Tony: “Thrilled, very proud of him again.
I’ve slightly lost my voice. “He’s amazing and he’s had an amazing season. He’s really stepped it up a gear, it was a huge run. I’m kind of a bit gutted as I thought we had it.
I saw we had Opera Ballo and Gstaad beat and probably didn’t give the winner the respect he deserves – he looks very good and we were probably beaten by a very good horse. “The plan was always the QEII. Whether we do the QEII and the Breeders’ Cup, we’ll see. We’ll do what’s right by him, hopefully he’ll be around for many more years.” Never miss a story with all the latest racing news, interviews and features on your phone.
Find out more Irish Derby hero Benvenuto Cellini proved bitterly disappointing as Varandir claimed a decisive victory in the Qatar Prix Niel at ParisLongchamp. Down the field as favourite for the Derby at Epsom before controversially being declared a non-runner due to an incident in the starting stalls, Benvenuto Cellini bounced back to claim Classic glory at the Curragh three weeks later, since when he had finished a creditable third against his elders in the King George at Ascot. Returning from a short break, the son of Frankel was widely expected to stake his claim for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe over the same course and distance in four weeks’ time, but after going in pursuit of his pacesetting stablemate Montreal from the home turn, he found little for pressure and weakened into fifth place. With Montreal’s petrol tank running on empty entering the final furlong, having streaked clear of his rivals for much of the race, Francis-Henri Graffard’s Varandir – a close-up fourth behind the William Haggas-trained Maltese Cross in the Grand Prix de Paris on his last outing – was the one who finished best to grab the lead under Mickael Barzalona and he was ultimately a comfortable winner over the staying-on Alam.
When asked whether the victory was a surprise, Nemone Routh, French racing manager and director for winning owners Aga Khan Studs, told Sky Sports Racing: “No, not hugely. We knew the horse was really well, we knew he’d progressed a lot and we were very happy with his run in the Grand Prix de Paris – he really moved forward from when he won the Group Three and I think he’d moved forward a lot since then. “He’s a horse that mentally and physically has improved throughout the year and we knew we had him well. I think he needed this run, because he was a bit heavy in the preliminaries.” Coral cut Varandir for 20-1 from 40-1 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and while the same connections have last year’s winner Daryz set to defend his crown, this son of Zarak is clearly entitled to line up alongside him.
Routh added: “He is in the Arc. We obviously need to speak to Princess Zahra (owner), (but) I’d say why not run? That would be my idea right now. See the latest horse racing news, interviews and features from Sky Sports Racing “I think he goes on any ground and sometimes it’s good to have two runners as you can be drawn 18 out of 18 with one and have a good draw with another, so why not spread your chances?
