After four successive runner-up finishes, it is perhaps hardly surprising that questions were being asked about Calandagan.
Well, the four-year-old finally got the G1 monkey off his back with his first victory of any kind since last year’s Royal Ascot with a smooth success in a tasty renewal of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday [June 29].
Showing a lovely turn of foot in the closing stages for a comfortable 3½-length decision over Arc runner-up Aventure, Calandagan storms back into the world Top Ten according to Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings, where he now stands at (#6 from #37, +219pt).
Trainer Francis Henri-Graffard (#10 from #12, +62pt) continues his irresistible ascent of the chart, where he is now clear top-ranked Franch-based trainer ahead of his legendary compatriot Andre Fabre at #17.
For good measure, jockey Mickael Barzalona – not without his critics since taking the lead role at the Aga Khan’s Studs operation – also gets a nice boost to #12 (from #17, +34pt).
Although Calandagan had long been considered a G1 winner in waiting, his connections may not have considered they might have to wait more than 12 months for him to make his mark at the top level after his stunning Royal Ascot breakthrough in last year’s King Edward VII Stakes.
“Well, Calandagan is not ungenuine,” said Graffard, clearly pleased that the doubts had been silenced.
“I thought he was really impressive there,” he went on, speaking to the Racing Post. “After Epsom my first conclusion was that he needed the run against that horse on that ground. I thought he'd come on a lot for that and he's getting experience, while his jockey knows him better now.”
The King George is likely to provide the gelding’s next target. “I will obviously discuss it with connections but it seems sensible to go to Ascot, a place where he has won before,” said Graffard.
Epsom hero Lambourn (#27 from #66, +123pt) duly became the 20th horse to complete the Derby double with victory in the Dubai Duty Free-sponsored Irish Derby at the Curragh on Sunday. However, the son of Australia made hard work of holding stable companion Serious Contender – second in a Royal Ascot handicap ten days previously – by just three-quarters of a length in a laboured-looking display (albeit one in which the Epsom placed horses were again well held).
Aidan O’Brien was winning Ireland’s senior Classic for a remarkable 17th time. “Lambourn is just so laid-back, I can’t tell you,” said the trainer (stays at #1, +38pt), who also struck with Oaks runner-up Whirl (#71 from #244, +190pt) in the G1 Pretty Polly on Saturday’s card.
“He’s that straightforward, genuine and just does whatever you want for you, whenever he can,” added O’Brien of his dual Derby winner.
“He's like his dad, if you put him in first gear, he stays in first gear; if you put him in third gear, he'll stay in third gear. He could be a King George or an Arc-type of horse. You'd imagine he'd get further but he has lots of class.”
The St Leger must also be a serious option for such a stout staying type; Coolmore aren’t shy of running at Doncaster these days.
Perhaps a slightly surprising favorite given the opposition, Mindframe (#13 from #41, +184pt) justified his market superiority in a red-hot edition of the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on Saturday [June 28].
With good reason, the $1 million contest was billed as one of the races of the year in the US with Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone, Dubai World Cup hero Hit Show and last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan also lining up.
However, Mindframe got the best of them after pressing the pace set by First Mission and then asserting in the stretch to hold late-running Sierra Leone (#25 from #32, +39pt) by a length. The runner-up finished strongly, as usual, from off the pace and would likely have won if the race had had another furlong.
A son of Constitution (#20 from #25, +61pt among dirt sires) trained by Todd Pletcher (#11 from #14, +32pt), Mindframe was displaying an admirable level of versatility, having scored his m,aiden G1 win on his previous start over seven furlongs in a sloppy Churchill Downs Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Saturday’s race was nine furlongs on a fast track.
“We’re just incredibly proud of him for how he was able to stretch out his natural speed today,” said Pletcher. “Sierra Leone came with a huge run around the turn and he had to hold off some top-class horses and was able to do so.”
After a shock odds-on defeat at Churchill Downs on her previous start, reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna regained the winning thread in the G2 Fleur de Lis on the Stephen Foster undercard.
But although she did what was necessary in a three-length victory over Royal Spa to record her ninth Graded success, it would be hard to enthuse over the form. With only a 2pt bump, Thorpedo Anna stays at #7 on the TRC rankings.
“We’re just so happy to get her back to her top form,” said trainer Kenny McPeek. “We’re so proud of her effort today.
“I think we’ll run her next at Saratoga in the Personal Ensign and then back at Keeneland for the Spinster,” McPeek added. “Who knows? If she goes through both of those hoops maybe we’d run her in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”
• View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires
Royal Ascot rankings update: ‘That was a great performance’ – Field Of Gold enters world top five
Francis Graffard moves into Top 20 as Gezora stakes Arc claims at Chantilly
Sovereignty reigns supreme at Saratoga – and there’s nobody close to world #1 Aidan O’Brien at Epsom
• Unlike traditional methods of racehorse rankings, TRC Global Rankings are a measure of an individual’s level of achievement over a rolling three-year period, providing a principled hierarchy of the leading horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and sires using statistical learning techniques. Racehorse rankings can be compared to similar exercises in other sports, like the golf’s world rankings or the ATP rankings in tennis.
They are formulated from the last three years of races we consider Group or Graded class all over the world and update automatically each week according to the quality of a horse’s performances and their recency, taking into account how races work out.