Calandagan Eyes Qipco Champion Stakes After Valiant York Performance
French-trained gelding ran a huge race against City Of Troy at York
Connections of Calandagan are leaning towards targeting the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot following his impressive second-place finish in the Juddmonte International at York, where he went head-to-head with City of Troy, a "true champion."
The three-year-old, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, has enjoyed a stellar season, completing a Group-race hat-trick that kicked off with a win in the Prix Noailles. He followed up with victories in the Prix Hocquart and the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he triumphed by a stunning six lengths. These wins earned him a spot in last week's Juddmonte International at York, marking his first Group One test for owner-breeder the Aga Khan.
At York, Calandagan went off at 13-2 with jockey Stephane Pasquier, stepping down in trip for this elite-level contest. While the early pace set by the City of Troy left him in mid-division, the gelding was always travelling comfortably. As they turned for home, Calandagan made a bold move on the outside, showing a sharp turn of foot to chase down the leader.
Despite his strong finish, City of Troy held on to win by a length, with Calandagan in second place. Ghostwriter, who finished third, was three and a half lengths behind as the first two broke the 10-furlong track record, which had been set by the legendary Sea The Stars in 2009.
With Calandagan being a gelding, he is not eligible for the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, which narrows down his options for the remainder of the season. As a result, Graffard and his team are currently favoring the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot in October as his next target.
🟢🔴 A terrific run from #Calandagan to finish second in the Gr.1 International Stakes @yorkracecourse – the first two home breaking the track record set by #SeaTheStars in 2009! https://t.co/5DsfCjtgWO
— Aga Khan Studs (@AgaKhanStuds) August 21, 2024
"He came out of the race well, even better than he did after Ascot," Graffard commented. "We haven’t made a final decision yet, but at the moment we are leaning towards the Champion Stakes at Ascot for his next run."
There are also potential races abroad for Calandagan once the European season wraps up, but Graffard noted that the decision has not yet been made whether to continue racing or give the horse a well-deserved winter break before returning next year.
"He has opportunities overseas, but it depends if we decide to wait for next year or keep going this season. That will be decided with the owner," Graffard added.
