The Grand Prix Flat Racing season kicks off in style this Sunday!

Grand Prix Flat Racing Season Kicks Off with a Bang on Sunday

The Emirates Poules d’Essai des Poulains and Pouliches — two Group 1 races (the highest level in horse racing) — are open to the elite of Europe’s three-year-old Thoroughbreds. Their aim is to crown the standout colt or filly of the generation, in line with a selection logic geared towards breeding excellence.

Both races are contested over 1,600 metres, a distance that demands both speed and stamina — the key qualities breeders and professionals seek in a racehorse. Horses demonstrating aptitude over longer distances may then progress to the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix de Diane Longines, both held over 2,100 metres in June at Chantilly.

Strong representation for the Aga Khan Silks

This year’s editions look particularly competitive, although among the fillies, Zarigana (Siyouni) stands out. Representing the Aga Khan Studs and trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, she is reminiscent of her illustrious grand-dam, the exceptional Zarkava (Zamindar). Zarigana won the key trial race, the Prix de la Grotte (Group 3), and last year was only narrowly beaten — by a nose — in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr1), the European championship for two-year-old fillies.

Francis-Henri Graffard will also saddle Mandanaba (Ghaiyyath), who carries the colours of Princess Zahra Aga Khan, just like her dam Mandesha (Desert Style), a Group 1 winner. Still unbeaten after two starts, Mandanaba’s team is taking a bold approach, as she has never raced over as short a distance as a mile.

Among the colts, international challengers are especially prominent. Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett), running for Irish powerhouse Coolmore, and Jonquil (Lope de Vega), in the Juddmonte silks and recent winner of the Greenham Stakes (Group 3), both feature among the favourites. On the French side, the Aga Khan will rely on Ridari (Churchill), winner of the Prix de Fontainebleau (Group 3), ahead of two Al Shaqab Racing contenders — Sahlan (Wootton Bassett) and Misunderstood (Hello Youmzain).

Looking Ahead to the Prix de Diane Longines

The Auguste Rodin Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (Group 2) — a potential stepping stone to the Prix de Diane Longines (Group 1) — features four fillies, including two from the yard of Francis-Henri Graffard, clearly the standout trainer of this classic Sunday. Unbeaten in two starts and having debuted only this past February, Audubon Park (Dubawi) will face her first major test with an eye on the June objective.

Purebred arabians in the Spotlight

The same race meeting will also host The President of the UAE Cup, a Group 1 contest for the top four-year-old and older purebred arabians. More robust and enduring than English Thoroughbreds (of which they are the ancestors), Arabians are somewhat less quick but are known for their toughness and stamina. Regular globetrotters, they benefit from a rich winter racing programme in the Gulf region. Unsurprisingly, the majority of Sunday’s field have already competed in Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates ahead of this first major European rendezvous of the season.