Francis-Henri Graffard | Horse Racing Free Tips

Graffard to Take Over Aiglemont For HH The Aga Khan

Following the retirement of Alain de Royer-Dupre at the end of 2021, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard will take over the training of the horses based at His Highness The Aga Khan's private training centre at Aiglemont. Situated in Gouvieux, Aiglemont is currently home to 80-90 Aga Khan-bred horses. Past champions bearing the green with red epaulettes trained at Aiglemont include Zarkava (Ire), Dalakhani (Ire) and Siyouni (Fr).

Graffard, a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start, spent four years at the Darley Racing Office before becoming an assistant to Alain de Royer-Dupre. He went out on his own in 2011 and has celebrated top-level victories with Erupt (Ire), Bateel (Ire), Channel (Ire), Watch Me (Fr), In Swoop (Ire), Wooded (Ire) and The Revenant (GB). The young trainer was sent a few Aga Khan yearlings at the end of 2019.

Alain de Royer-Dupre started training out of Aiglemont for HH The Aga Khan after the passing of Francois Mathet in 1983. To date, Royer-Dupre has trained a total of 77 Group 1 winners for HH The Aga Khan and Princess Zahra Aga Khan including seven French Guineas, a Prix Vermeille, six editions of the Prix de Diane and G1 Prix Saint Alary, five G1 Prix du Jockey Clubs and a pair of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners.

Graffard will continue to operate out of Chantilly in addition to his new role. The Aga Khan Studs' close collaboration with their existing base of trainers, which includes Mikel Delzangles and Jean-Claude Rouget in France, as well as Dermot Weld, Michael Halford and Johnny Murtagh in Ireland, will also continue.

The post Graffard to Take Over Aiglemont For HH The Aga Khan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Siyouni’s Acer Alley Prevails in the Rochette

Largely unconsidered as the 26-1 outsider of six, Merry Fox Stud's homebred 2-year-old filly Acer Alley (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) created waves with a late burst for glory in Sunday's G3 Prix La Rochette at ParisLongchamp. She had previously bettered a June 11 first-up fourth going seven furlongs at Compiegne with a June 21 Saint-Cloud maiden score over the same trip in her only other start last time and raced fifth of the six runners from flagfall here. Nudged into contention with 500 metres remaining, Acer Alley came under increased pressure once inside the final quarter mile and displayed a smart turn of foot in the closing stages to swoop late for a career high. At the line, Acer Alley held a half-length advantage from Making Moovies (Ire) (Dabirsim {Fr}), who edged out British raider El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) by a short neck for second, and will now point to next month's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac for her next outing.

“The idea was to go to the [G3] Prix Six Perfections in Deauville, after she won at Saint-Cloud last time, but I felt she was not quite ready for that race,” revealed winning trainer Francis Graffard. “She just needed more time and the owner [Craig Bennett] trusted my judgement. She came back right again and had been working very well at home, but you never know what might happen on the track as this was only her third career start and facing colts for the first time. We thought we had to give it a try to see if we had any chance of going for a Group 1 on Arc weekend. The owner is a breeder, he would love to win the [G1] Prix Marcel Boussac and, if she's well, we will go for that.”

Acer Alley becomes the second pattern-race winner produced by an unraced half-sister to the Merry Fox Stud operation's G1 Moyglare Stud S. victrix Cursory Glance (GB) (Distorted Humor). The March-foaled homebred bay is a half-sister to last term's GI Turf Classic hero Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})–himself a 325,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 yearling in 2017–and a weanling colt by Dubawi (Ire). Her second dam Time Control (GB) (Sadler's Wells) is a full-sister to G2 Prix de Malleret victrix Time On (GB), who threw G3 Oh So Sharp S. winner Mot Juste (Distorted Humor). Time Control, in turn, is a daughter of G3 Musidora S. victrix and and G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. third Time Away (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), herself a granddaughter of MG1SW distaffer Time Charter (Ire) (Saritamer).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX LA ROCHETTE-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-5, 2yo, 7fT, 1:24.04, g/s.
1–ACER ALLEY (GB), 122, f, 2, by Siyouni (Fr)
1st Dam: Willow View, by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Time Control (GB), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Time Away (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (180,000gns RNA Ylg '20 TATOCT). O/B-Merry Fox Stud Ltd (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Olivier Peslier. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, €56,200. *1/2 to Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), GISW-US, $1,263,460. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Making Moovies (Ire), 126, c, 2, Dabirsim (Fr)–Grace Lady (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB). O-Ecurie Pierre Pilarski & Jean-Philippe Dubois; B-Jean-Philippe Dubois (IRE); T-Didier Guillemin. €16,000.
3–El Bodegon (Ire), 126, c, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Al Andalyya, by Kingmambo. (70,000gns Ylg '20 TAOCT). O-Nas Syndicate & A F O'Callaghan; B-Cecil & Martin McCracken (IRE); T-James Ferguson. €12,000.
Margins: HF, SNK, 1 1/4. Odds: 25.90, 4.10, 16.00.
Also Ran: New Science (GB), The Wizard of Eye (Ire), Zelda (Fr). Scratched: Rebel Path (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

The post Siyouni’s Acer Alley Prevails in the Rochette appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Group 1 Winner In Swoop to Stand Under Coolmore NH Banner

German Derby winner In Swoop (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}–Iota {Ger}, by Tiger Hill {Ire}), who was runner-up in the 2020 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, will stand under the Coolmore National Hunt banner in Ireland, the stud announced on Thursday. A fee will be announced later.

“In Swoop is the 19th German Derby winner owned and bred by the Von Ullmann family who also bred and raced both his German Derby-winning sire and German Oaks-winning dam,” said Coolmore's Joe Hernon who negotiated the purchase. “He's a striking horse from one of Europe's leading farms and was rated the best 3-year-old of his generation over a mile and a half. The Von Ullmann family also provided us with Getaway (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) who has proven a resounding success with Irish breeders and we are very grateful to them.”

Bred by the Von Ullmann Family and raced in their Gestut Schlenderhan colours, the bay was third in the G2 Prix Greffulhe in only his second start and won the 2020 G1 Deutsches Derby on his third appearance last July. In Swoop was second again in September, this time in the rescheduled G1 Grand Prix de Paris before just missing in the Arc last October.

The Francis-Henri Graffard trainee made his 4-year-old bow in April, with a second in a ParisLongchamp listed affair, before adding the G3 Prix d'Hedouville and G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly in quick succession in May and June. His final race was a fourth in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. In Swoop was retired with a tendon injury earlier this month and had been preparing for another Arc tilt.

The eighth foal of German Oaks heroine Iota, In Swoop is a full-brother to G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern victor Ito (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and a half to both the New Zealand Group 3 winner Igraine (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}) and the stakes-placed Iniciar (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}).

The post Group 1 Winner In Swoop to Stand Under Coolmore NH Banner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

German Derby Hero In Swoop Retired With Tendon Injury

German champion In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}–Iota {Ger}, by Tiger Hill {Ire}), a winner of the 2020 G1 Deutsches Derby, has been retired from racing with a tendon injury, Equidia reported on Monday. Stud plans are pending for the Francis-Henri Graffard trainee.

The Gestut Schlenderhan colourbearer kicked off his career with a win at Lyon Parilly in May of his 3-year-old year and was third in the G2 Prix Greffulhe last June before his German Derby score. Second to Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp in September, the Stall Ullmann-bred filled that spot again in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Oct. 4. His 4-year-old bow was a second in a French listed race, before adding the G3 Prix d'Hedouville and G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly to his ledger. He was a last out fourth in the July 4 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. In Swoop, who had been pointing toward another Arc attempt, retires with a mark of 9-4-3-1 and $1,654,289 in earnings.

In Swoop is the eighth foal of his dam, who scored her biggest victory in the 2005 G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks). Besides In Swoop, she has already produced German champion and G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern victor Ito (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), the New Zealand Group 3 winner Igraine (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}) and the stakes-placed Iniciar (Ger) (Galileo {Ire}).

Although In Swoop's second dam was unraced, besides Iota, Iora (Ger) (Konigsstuhl {Ger}) had the German champion and Group 1 placed Ioannina (GB) (Rainbow Quest) and German Group 3 winner Illo (Ger) (Tertullian) to her credit.

The post German Derby Hero In Swoop Retired With Tendon Injury appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post