Gleneagles’ Champion Son Calandagan Caps Brilliant Year In Japan

Newly crowned Cartier Horse of the Year Calandagan (4g Gleneagles - Calayana, by Sinndar) picked up the fourth top-flight race of his career when landing a record-breaking victory in the Japan Cup on Sunday.

In capturing the showpiece contest, Calandagan became the first international winner of the race since 2005 and only the second French-trained scorer.

Ridden by Mickael Barzalona, the Aga Khan Studs homebred was settled towards the rear of the field but made sustained headway from two furlongs out. The son of Gleneagles took up a narrow lead a furlong out and rallied bravely to score by a head in track record time.

Trainer Francis Graffard said: "It's one thing bringing the best horse in the world to this race but he faced a really high-quality field. Everything seemed to go well but I was looking for Christophe Lemaire and he seemed to get a dream run through.

"He went a head up and I thought we were beaten but he's tough and he battled back. He's an exceptional horse to have put his head in front on the line."

Calandagan had landed a hat-trick of Group 1 victories earlier this year in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Champion Stakes.

Those victories saw him crowned Horse of the Year and outstanding Older Horse at the Cartier Awards earlier this month.