It’s a bustling week in the world of horse racing, with headlines made both on the turf and in the sales ring. As the autumn season gallops on, racing enthusiasts have their eyes set on Ascot, Killarney, and Newmarket, where equine talent and human ambition intertwine in thrilling fashion.
First up, all roads lead to Ascot later this month for the Qipco Champion Stakes, and the French-trained Calandagan is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated contenders. After playing a pivotal role in stablemate Daryz’s preparation for a sensational Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe win last Sunday, Calandagan is now primed to chase his own slice of glory on British Champions Day.
Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard and the Aga Khan Studs couldn’t have dreamed of a better autumn so far. Daryz’s Arc triumph at ParisLongchamp brought the stable to the center of the European racing stage, and now all eyes are on Calandagan, who finished stride for stride with Daryz in their final pre-Arc workout. That piece of work, according to Nemone Routh, French racing manager to the Aga Khan Studs, was a clear sign that Calandagan is right at the top of his game.
“Calandagan worked with Daryz prior to him running in the Arc,” Routh explained. “They worked very well together, so he’s clearly in top form. He has a couple more pieces of work to do and then he’ll be ready to run in the Champion Stakes. It’s all systems go for the race, he’s very professional now in the mornings and does everything very easily. He did prepare Daryz for the Arc and they finished their gallop together, so he’s obviously in good form!”
Calandagan’s credentials are hard to overlook. He already boasts a victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot this July, a defining moment that marked him as a true Group 1 performer. That day, he surged to the line on good ground, a surface he’s shown a clear preference for. Yet, as last season’s Champion Stakes revealed, he’s not a one-trick pony—Calandagan was a gritty second on soft turf, losing by only half a length. Routh was quick to reassure fans about his versatility, noting, “Whilst we think he’s better on good ground, he’s perfectly capable of handling soft ground as well. He is very well within himself and assuming all goes well between now and then, Ascot is where he’ll be heading.”
With just a few weeks left before the big day, Calandagan’s preparation is being watched closely. His partnership with Daryz in training has clearly paid dividends for the stable, and now, the focus shifts to whether he can convert that sharpness into Champion Stakes glory. The anticipation is palpable—can Calandagan step out of Daryz’s shadow and claim his own autumn crown?
Meanwhile, across the Irish Sea, the curtain came down on Killarney’s racing year in style. The Royal Ascot-winning duo of Joe Murphy and Gary Carroll got punters off to a flying start at the final fixture, notching up victories in the opening two maidens. Their summer triumph with Cercene in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot—at a staggering 33-1—was the stuff of dreams, and their hot streak continued in County Kerry.
Alphecca, making her third start, finally broke her maiden in the two-year-old mile contest, while Lady Lilac, a model of consistency, stormed home by five and a half lengths in the mile maiden for older horses. The pair went off as favorites and delivered exactly what the betting public hoped for. It’s little wonder the Murphy-Carroll partnership is being tipped for even more rides and success in the coming months.
But Killarney wasn’t done with surprises. Draiocht, whose name fittingly means "magic" in Irish, conjured up a result few saw coming. The five-year-old, winless in 13 previous starts and saddled with a modest rating of 39, found his moment under Killian Leonard. At 16-1, Draiocht surged late to win the mile maiden by half a length for trainer Thomond O’Mara. Sometimes, racing really does deliver a touch of the miraculous!
And let’s not forget the young guns: Julian Pietropaolo, just 17 and hailing from Ballynoe in County Cork, continued his remarkable run of form. Riding Blue Moon Boy to victory in the 1m3f apprentice handicap, Pietropaolo notched his seventh win in just six weeks—a feat that’s sure to catch the attention of more trainers and owners as the season progresses.
While the action on the track has been captivating, the sales ring at Newmarket has been equally dramatic. The opening day of the Tattersalls Book 1 Yearling Sale saw Godolphin and Amo Racing go toe-to-toe for some of the most coveted bloodstock in Europe. Amo Racing, fresh from last year’s 4.4 million guineas purchase of a full-brother to the Frankel filly Partying, made an early statement, but it was Godolphin who ultimately stole the show.
Godolphin’s big moment came when they secured the top lot—a Sea The Stars colt out of a Crystal Ocean half-sister, Crystal Zvezda—for a staggering 3.7 million guineas. Anthony Stroud, bidding for Godolphin, was effusive in his praise: “He is from a very good stud farm. He is by Sea The Stars and from a great Rothschild family that goes well with the sire. This colt is majestic, the way he moves and walks, he is a lovely horse. He stood out for us and is the one we really wanted. You have to pay for the ones you really want, and he was that horse. You always have to pay more than you want!”
Godolphin didn’t stop there, quickly snapping up a Blue Point colt out of Boston Rocker for 1 million guineas—their fifth and, at that stage, most expensive purchase of the day. They also added a Too Darn Hot colt, out of the prolific mare Dane Street, for another 1 million guineas. Anthony Rogers of Airlie Stud, Dane Street’s breeder, could hardly believe the price: “It is a great price, he is a lovely horse. You can never believe that you are going to get a million for a horse. Dane Street has been an amazing mare for us, and we failed to sell her here about 15 years ago! She is still breeding, but she has had a rest this year.”
Julian Dollar, breeder of the Sea The Stars colt, admitted he had only budgeted half a million for the horse but sensed the potential for a seven-figure price tag. “Coming in here, I thought there was a chance he might make seven figures, it was a bit like the filly last year. But, when two big hitters lock horns, there is always a chance they can make unbelievable amounts, which that was.”
The fierce bidding war between Godolphin and Amo Racing, with Coolmore lurking in the background, set the tone for a high-stakes week at Tattersalls. As Godolphin’s Anthony Stroud put it, "You always have to pay more than you want!"—a sentiment echoed by buyers and breeders alike.
As the dust settles on a week packed with racing drama and blockbuster sales, anticipation only builds for what’s next. Calandagan’s Champion Stakes quest, Murphy and Carroll’s winning run, and the fortunes of those million-guinea yearlings will keep the conversation buzzing all autumn long.
