Rayif was back to his Guineas best and captured the Prix Jacques Le Marois
- Turf Diario
- hace 7 horas
- 3 min de lectura
The colt trained by Francis-Henri Graffard rediscovered his finest form at Deauville and, unleashing a formidable late charge under Mickaël Barzalona, defeated Zeus Olympios and Precise in one of Europe's most prestigious mile events
DEAUVILLE, France—Rayif was Rayif again. Following a summer in which minor setbacks prevented him from building on his impressive spring trajectory, the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (G1) winner reclaimed his full stature on Sunday to capture the Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques Le Marois (G1), one of the most prestigious mile contests on the European racing calendar.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden by Mickaël Barzalona, the colt began his campaign in the best possible fashion by conquering the French equivalent of the 2000 Guineas in May. However, complications soon followed.
A minor physical setback thwarted plans to target Royal Ascot, and upon his return, he finished fifth in the Prix Jean Prat (G1)—a performance slightly below expectations, albeit with valid excuses.
Stepping back up to 1600 meters presented a formidable challenge. Among his opponents was heavy favorite Precise(Starspangledbanner), the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly who had captured the Irish 1000 Guineas (G1) and the Coronation Stakes (G1) earlier this term before encountering top-class older mare Blue Bolt (Blue Point) in her next two outings.
Thesecretadversary (St Mark's Basilica), recent winner of the Prix Jean Prat (G1) for Fozzy Stack, set the pace for much of the running, tracked closely by Zeus Olympios (Night of Thunder), who surged powerfully to take the lead inside the final 200 meters.
For a moment, it appeared the Karl Burke trainee had found his breakthrough G1 victory. But Rayif was yet to deliver his verdict.
Barzalona displayed immense patience before unleashing Graffard's ward with a devastating turn of foot. With a lethal burst of speed, Rayif collared Zeus Olympios late to deny him a maiden top-level success. Precise finished close behind in third.
"I am delighted. It is a wonderful race to win and a very difficult one to get," celebrated Graffard. "I never lost faith in the horse. Last time he ran quite well with excuses, and today he was in fantastic condition. On this straight course, you need the perfect trip, and we got it."
The trainer also praised Rayif's competitive drive: "He traveled really well and accelerated brilliantly. He is a tough and brave horse."
His victory in the Poule d’Essai came over heavy ground, raising questions about his ability to replicate that form on a different surface. Graffard, however, never shared that view.
"After the Poule, everyone said he was a soft-ground horse, but you have to keep testing them. If these horses are to find their place as stallions, they need to perform at this level. The Jacques Le Marois is a famous race, probably the second most important in France after the Arco, so winning it means a great deal," he explained.
Immediate plans for Rayif offer several options. One path is a quick turnaround for the Prix du Moulin (G1) on September 6 at Longchamp. However, Graffard is also considering giving him more time, or even dropping him back to 1400 meters for the Prix de la Forêt (G1) on October 4.
Further down the line looms another major target: the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (G1) on Champions Day at Ascot, an attractive option considering his proven affinity for soft ground.
"It will depend on whether we go to the Moulin or give him time. The Prix de la Forêt could also be an option; I wouldn't be afraid to drop him in distance. Then there is the QEII, and we know he handles soft ground perfectly," added Graffard.
Meanwhile, Karl Burke found plenty of pride despite the agonizing defeat of Zeus Olympios.
"We always believed he could deliver a performance like this in a G1. Physically he is improving, and he showed that today. He accelerated twice. First, I thought we had won it; then he was challenged, accelerated again, and I thought we had it once more. Cliff Lee thought so too. But you have to credit the winner, who came and caught us," Burkeremarked.
Burke believes there is still plenty of upside and remains hopeful that Zeus Olympios will stay in training for 2027. The Moulin will likely come too soon, making the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes a potential target for him as well.
Rayif, on the other hand, accomplished precisely what he needed to: proving that his spring classic victory was no fluke.
Overcoming midseason setbacks, he returned to his peak form right when it mattered most—in the Jacques Le Marois, a race capable of turning a great campaign into an unforgettable one.
