#Francis Graffard

Watch Me (pale jacket) edges ahead of Suphala to win the Prix Imprudence at Maisons-Laffitte Watch Me made it two wins from three starts for Francis Graffard in the Group 3 Prix Imprudence at Maisons-Laffitte on Wednesday, but Lady Bamford's runner-up Suphala remains a candidate for the Qipco 1000 Guineas or French equivalent at…

History awaits Mishriff in the third running of the $20 million Saudi Cup, where victory would make him the sport's leading prize-money earner of all time. With a cool $10m (£7.5m/€9m) to the winner, a repeat Saudi Cup win would take him clear of global giants Winx, Arrogate and Almond Eye at the top of the money list and cement his legacy among…

Aidan O'Brien: has grand plans for Luxembourg this season The Classics are drawing ever closer and after another busy week of action, including trials at Newbury, here are ten quotes that could give us clues. . . He's a bigger horse than Camelot and I think he has more pace, so that would give you hope going for a Guineas. We'll have to wait and…

Mimikyu: one of five joint-favourites with Ladbrokes for the Fillies & Mares Stakes following the defection of stablemate Free Wind Baaeed, the highest-rated horse in Europe, remains on course for Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot on October 15 following the latest acceptance stage, but Fillies & Mares Stakes favourite Free Wind was a notable…

Taking on Ballydoyle in the 1000 Guineas is like facing Manchester City in the Etihad - victory is theoretically possible but recent history suggests that one of their expensive stars will see you off. Aidan O'Brien has won it five times in the last six years and seven times overall. Nobody else currently training has taken it more than…

THIS is the sickening moment jockey Christophe Soumillon pushes rival Rossa Ryan off a horse mid-race. Recent Coral-Eclipse winner Soumillon's moment of madness came as a jockey in Ecuador was given a lifetime ban for doing the exact same. Sky Sports Racing cameras captured in detail the shocking scenes from Saint-Cloud racecourse in France. And it…

The build-up to the French 1000 Guineas has been dominated by discussion about the historic difficulty of doubling up in the Newmarket and Longchamp Classics, but behind the raw facts that Special Duty was the last to succeed and both Finsceal Beo and Mother Earth were narrowly beaten is the mitigation that not many winners of the English version…

Verry Elleegant (right): runs in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot Francis Graffard might feel he is due a change of luck after recent events but his chief hope for Verry Elleegant's challenge in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (2.40) at Ascot on Saturday is that she can show European audiences her true…

Christophe Soumillon: was banned for 60 days for elbowing Rossa Ryan out of the saddle Ralph Beckett revealed Christophe Soumillon had kept his word and reimbursed the connections of Captain Weirzba, the horse the jockey interfered with when elbowing Rossa Ryan out the saddle. Beckett took to Twitter to highlight a payment received from the Belgian…

Frankie Dettori's bid to register a record-extending seventh win in the Arc might have fallen short with Torquator Tasso, but he was still the toast of Longchamp on Sunday evening after plundering the Prix de la Foret on ready winner Kinross - the British banker of Arc weekend for many. On paper it was a good opportunity for the Ralph…

What a magnificent couple of day's racing we can look forward to this weekend. On Saturday, Newmarket stages the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes, whilst Ascot and Redcar complete the afternoon line-up. Saturday and Sunday sees the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting taking place in Paris. We speak to French trainer Francis Graffard about the…

You need a thick skin and ear muffs to be a handicapper but it's hard to feel much sympathy for the French assessors right now after they effectively prevented Verry Elleegant running in the Prix de l' Arc de Triomphe on Sunday. The multiple Group One winner and 2021 Melbourne Cup heroine has not been at her best in two starts this season since…

Verry Elleegant: will be the first New Zealand-bred Arc contender since 2011 Verry Elleegant will join the line-up for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after connections announced on Monday that they would supplement last year's Melbourne Cup winner for the race. Owners Jomara Bloodstock Ltd have said they will pay the £120000 fee for the…

Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride Verry Elleegant in the Prix Jean Romanet next Sunday It has been a tumultuous season for Frankie Dettori but he has received a big boost by being booked to ride 11-time Group 1 winner Verry Elleegant on her first start in France in the Prix Jean Romanet on Sunday week. High-profile losses at Royal Ascot led…