Trainer Francis Henri-Graffard and the Aga Khan team look to have unearthed another potential star in Erdenali, judged on his scintillating debut at Saint-Cloud.
A son of Caravaggio, the three-year-old was gelded and unraced as a juvenile, but made a huge impression when bolting up by six and a half lengths on his racecourse introduction on Sunday.
Nemone Routh, manager for the Aga Khan Studs in France, said: “Erdenali was gelded very early last year as a two-year-old as he was very difficult when he came into training. He was a difficult ride, he was hot and wasn’t settling, so we had quite a few issues with him early on.
“I wouldn’t say he was getting dangerous, but you didn’t want to have an accident with someone knowing that this horse was quite complicated, so we took a view to geld him early, which was obviously hugely beneficial for him.
“He had a few little setbacks at two, nothing major, but we couldn’t get a clean run with him to get him to the races.
“He had been working well this spring. His last gallop showed us he was a good horse because he worked with a Group-standard four-year-old filly that we have and a three-year-old filly we really like who has won and he was able to go with them.
“So we knew the form of his home work was good, but he did win very impressively on Sunday – you don’t expect them to go and win like that.
“His sectionals were very good and Mickael (Barzalona) said he hardly asked him anything and he had plenty in the tank, so he’s a very exciting prospect who has slightly come out of nowhere.”
While Erdenali is ineligible to run in a Guineas on either side of the Channel – or like stablemate and fellow gelding Calandagan in the Arc – connections are hopeful he can make his mark at a high level this season.
“We don’t know where he’s going yet, but he’ll stick to a mile and we think he’s a stakes horse,” Routh added.
“He obviously can’t go for a Classic, but the Classics over a mile come up quite quickly anyway and it’s very hard to be competitive in those if you haven’t run as a two-year-old.
“He did need gelding when we did it and I think it’s been the making of him really.”
Erdenali was one of two winners for the Graffard-Aga Khan Studs axis at Saint-Cloud, with Asmarani later securing Listed honours in the Prix Right Royal.
The four-year-old is two from two since being gelded over the winter, beating the high-class Double Major on both occasions, meaning he can now be considered for some major staying prizes.
Routh said: “Gelding has helped him too, although to be fair to him he was a decent three-year-old.
“We were going to sell him in the Arc sale last year, but then he had a setback so he couldn’t make the sale so we then thought as he was going to have some time off we’d geld him.
“He’s a gorgeous looking horse who is big and strong and the gelding has helped him. He had a few issues with the stalls last year which he seems to better with now and he was also quite a cold horse who was a little bit off the bridle in his races last year, whereas now he seems to be much better a lying up with the pace.
“He’s still learning and is still quite immature as a horse, but Mickael says he’s riding like a different horse this year and the form with Double Major is obviously good. Double Major was giving him quite a bit of weight and when they’re at level weights he’s probably going to get a bit closer, but I think we’re going the right way and still have a bit of improvement to come.”
