Calandagan Shines in Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud

Calandagan (IRE) finally made his breakthrough in group 1 company June 29 when running out the impressive winner of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1). The Aga Khan Studs' 4-year-old's resolution had been questioned in some quarters after he chased home Jan Brueghel (IRE) in the Coronation Cup (G1) at Epsom, his fourth consecutive second at the highest level. However, those accusations were dismissed in emphatic fashion when the gelding, sent off 10-11 favourite, quickened smartly under Mickael Barzalona to pull clear of Aventure (IRE) in the closing stages Goliath (GER), who like Calandagan is trained by Francis Graffard for Resolute Bloodstock and Philip Baron Von Ullmann, sat behind the pace set by Junko (GB) but was the first beaten in the straight, trailing home last of the five runners. Graffard said: "Well, he's not ungenuine! The race went really well for him and I thought he was traveling much more into the rhythm of the race this time. "Mickael said he still had to ask him to keep up sometimes during the race but then in the straight, when there is rhythm and he can follow the pace, he can really lengthen and quicken really strongly. I thought he was really impressive there. "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."