€80,000 Porte Maillot (Gr3): King Gold hangs on to his throne

Thursday, 20 June 2024, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris). – Out for 82 days following an unfruitful season in the Gulf, King Gold (Anodin), last year's winner of the €80,000 Prix de la Porte Maillot (Gr3), made a victorious return. He travelled behind pacesetter Mount Athos (Dark Angel), moved about 2 frulongs out and pulled away, holding off Exxtra (Starspangledbanner) by a head and favourite Kelina (Frankel), who took time to reach momentum. King Gold's remarkable return saw him reclaim his title.

King Gold is the second of four foals out of the unraced Miss Gandelia (Kingsalsa), a sister to Group-placed Queen America (American Post) and Queensalsa (Kingsalsa).

Miss Gandelia has also produced Missalia (Prince Gibraltar), a winner at 3, and a 3-year-old by Spanish Moon, Nadelia, who won first time out in December and is also in training with Nicolas Caullery for her breeder, the Wingtans family.

At 7 years old, King Gold has raced 33 times, securing eight victories, including the Prix Maurice de Gheest (Gr1) last summer, and now boasts earnings exceeding €620,000 with bonuses. He began his career at 2, winning his debut in his second season, and has competed across conditions races, handicaps, and selection races. His record includes a second place in the Grosser Preis von Lotto Hamburg (Gr3) over 1,200 meters in July 2022 and two third-place finishes in Dubai. After his Normandy triumph, he only raced once more in France, finishing fifth in the Prix de la Forêt, before competing in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.