Rayif tackles Prix Jean Prat

DEAUVILLE – The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Rayif is reportedly in great form, as he gears up for a return to action in the €400,000 (S$591,000) Group 1 Prix Jean Prat (1,400m) at Deauville on July 12.

The Aga Khan Studs-owned colt missed his intended seasonal reappearance earlier in the season.

As a result, his connections felt he would improve considerably for the outing in the 2026 Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (1,600m) or French 2000 Guineas on May 10.

However, such is his class, Rayif managed to make a winning return in the French Classic, battling off Komorebi to strike by a length for a third win from four starts, all in France.

A potential mouth-watering clash against English and Irish Guineas winners Bow Echo and Gstaad in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes (1,600m) on June 16 was next on the cards.

However, the son of Sea The Moon was unfortunately unable to make the trip to Royal Ascot due to an elevated temperature.

“He’s in great form,” said Nemone Routh, European racing manager for Aga Khan Studs.

“It was a very minor thing that he had, but it just meant we couldn’t put him on the box to Ascot because his temperature spiked.

“We were very happy with him before the St James’s Palace Stakes, things literally just fell at the wrong time and he couldn’t travel.”

Rayif will now be kept to home soil for his next assignment, with connections eyeing a tilt at the Prix Jean Prat.

“We just got him back in time for the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and that was a great performance,” said Routh.

“We thought he would come on for the run, and we always felt like he was a better horse on quicker ground, so we were concerned heading into it, but he handled it fine.

“He liked fast ground when he won on it at Deauville as a two-year-old, so the Prix Jean Prat looks like the right race for him.

“He’s got form at the track on the straight course.”

Rayif will face stiff opposition with the likes of Thesecretadversary, Nighttime, Time To Turn, Samangan and recent Group 3 Singapore Pools Prix de la Porte Maillot (1,400m) winner Khovikhov.

But it is Coolmore’s Group 1 English 1000 Guineas (1,600m) winner True Love who will be his most formidable foe.

Both currently share favouritism at odds of 7-4.

True Love was also entered in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes (1,600m) at Newmarket on July 10, but trainer Aidan O’Brien finally decided to split the No Nay Never filly from her arch-rival and stablemate Precise.

With both runners sent out favourites in their respective events, Ballydoyle holds a strong chance of coming home a winner on either side of the English Channel.

RACING AND SPORTS