July 5 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud form analysis
Aventure to hold her own against Calandagan
If Aga Khan’s champ flops again, Ferland’s top mare will pounce
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Aventure (Maxime Guyon) is a worthy challenger to Calandagan in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2,400m) on July 5.
PHOTO: SCOOPDYGA
Michael Lee
After dodging a hot trip on the road, trainer Christophe Ferland is hoping to turn up the heat on the world’s best horse on July 5.
The Chantilly trainer saddles the consistent Aventure in the €400,000 (S$590,000) Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2,400m), where the Aga Khan’s smart mare Calandagan heads the small but select eight-horse field.
Torn between the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes (2,000m) in Ireland on June 27 and staying home, Ferland decided to avoid the current Europe heat wave.
“She’s a valuable mare and 17 hours on a float would make it a painful journey to The Curragh. It would not have been in her best interests to travel from a horse welfare point of view,” said Ferland.
“I think she’s in excellent form. She doesn’t need anything more, she’s quite fresh.
“She ran very well at Saint-Cloud the last time and we were beaten by the freak, Calandagan. For sure we’d be happy to finish second to the world’s best horse.
“But, if we can win, I won’t sign on the dotted line. I will try and take up the challenge.”
Still, the Wertheimer-owned broodmare prospect has seven other rivals in between her and a first Group 1 win.
Here is the Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool race analysis:
1 Calandagan
Brilliant winner of five Group 1 races in a row, she flopped in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom in June, never travelling kindly and beaten a long way. Huge chance if she has recovered.
2 Pride Of Arras
Group 2 Dante Stakes (2,063m) winner who is extremely effective on a good day. A good fourth in Bahrain when last seen. The rise back to this trip is surely positive.
3 Eydon
Led in the Group 2 Prix de Chantilly (2,400m) late in May, but was unable to fend off the challengers and ran fourth.
4 Leffard
First run at Saint-Cloud but delivered a career best when accelerating to win a prestigious 2,400m Group 1 at Longchamp last July.
5 Cualificar
Failed to excel in the 2025 Arc. Much better in two starts in 2026, though both times not quite managing a Group 2 success.
6 Lambourn
English and Irish Derby winner in 2025. Needs to recapture performances like those, after two last-start comprehensive defeats at Epsom and Royal Ascot.
7 Sunly
Yet to finish out of the first two in six starts. Found only Aventure too strong in the Group 2 Prix Corrida (2,100m) at Longchamp when last seen, having previously won the Group 3 Allez France Stakes (2,000m) at Saint-Cloud.
8 Aventure
A brilliant mare who gained her seventh win from 15 starts with a Group 2 win over the classy Sunly in the Prix Corrida (2,100m) at Longchamp in May. Back up to 2,400m makes her a leading contender.
