We have Group 1 action on both sides of the English Channel this coming weekend. Saturday afternoon sees Aidan O’Brien unexpectedly pitch both Constitution River and Hawk Mountain into Coral-Eclipse battle at Sandown. Just 24 hours later, the focus switches from Surrey to the Parisian suburbs as Saint-Cloud stages the 2026 edition of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
First run in 1904 and offering €400,000 in prize money, this 1m4f contest is open to runners aged four and older. Since that inaugural edition, a steady stream of star names has been inscribed on the roll of honour, including Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners Montjeu, Treve, Waldgeist, and Alpinista. This year, the market is headed by a star who ended 2025 as the highest-rated racehorse on the planet.
Hailing from the yard of Francis-Henri Graffard, Calandagan is sure to prove popular with punters. As tends to be the case in British, Irish, or French Group 1s, he must overcome a stiff Ballydoyle challenge, with a pair of Aidan O’Brien-trained Classic winners included among the likely opposition.
Calandagan to Bounce Back in Defence of His Crown
Ending 2025 as the king of the equine world, Calandagan arrived at the 2025 edition of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud without a Group 1 win to his name. While often performing with credit, his form figures in top-level events read a frustrating 2-2-2-2.
However, this was the race that represented his first step towards the summit of the middle-distance division. Sent off as the red-hot 1/2 favourite, he was expected to account for a field including his King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes-winning stablemate, Goliath, and the talented mare Aventure. And account for them he did, kicking clear under Mickael Barzalona for an easy success by three and a half lengths.
Having consigned his “always the bridesmaid but never the bride” tag to the dustbin, the Group 1 wins began to flow for the son of Gleneagles. Handing his trainer back-to-back wins in the King George at Ascot, he added the Champion Stakes to his haul before ending 2025 with a thrilling victory in the Japan Cup.
This year also began well for the now five-year-old, as he made up around six lengths in the straight to claim the Dubai Sheema Classic. Despite that run of dominance, Calandagan arrives at Saint-Cloud with questions to answer following his 42-length fourth of six effort in the Coronation Cup last time. While disappointing, the ground looked far softer than the official good-to-soft description at Epsom that day, and the forecast conditions at Saint-Cloud should suit him much better.
Derby and St Leger Winners Head the Opposition
Having hit the headlines with eight Classic wins in 2026, including a 1-2-3 in the French Derby and the Irish Derby, it is a little surprising to learn that Aidan O’Brien has won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud only once. Five years on from that sole success with Broome, the County Tipperary handler has Jan Brueghel and Lambourn among the current entries.
For 2024 St Leger Stakes winner Jan Brueghel, this would represent a third clash with Calandagan. The pair first met in a cracking renewal of the Coronation Cup in 2025. Locking horns throughout the final furlong, Jan Brueghel broke Calandagan in the final 50 yards to score by half a length.
Three weeks after that contest, Calandagan gained his revenge in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Held up in last, he once again launched a late challenge, but this time he would not be denied. With Jan Brueghel backpedalling, Calandagan saw off Kalpana and Rebel’s Romance to double his Group 1 tally.
The third meeting came in this year’s Coronation Cup. Billed as a rematch between the 2025 1-2, both runners were put firmly in their place by runaway winner Bay City Roller. A full 10 lengths adrift in second, Jan Brueghel finished a massive 32 lengths ahead of Calandagan. While the French star has been given a break since that Epsom outing, Jan Brueghel finished a fair fourth in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The 2025 English and Irish Derby champion Lambourn has yet to return to that Classic-winning level. Winning only one of five starts since his Curragh success, he finished more than five lengths behind Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup and 16 lengths adrift of his stablemate in the Hardwicke Stakes. He will need a big step forward here, but if he is to rediscover his best form, it will most likely come in a 1m4f contest such as this.
Britain to be Represented by Balding, Beckett, and Burke?
Having claimed three of the past four editions, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud has been a happy hunting ground for British trainers in recent years. With eleven runners remaining in the field, Andrew Balding, Ralph Beckett, and Karl Burke all remain in contention in 2026.
Eydon may represent Andrew Balding, whose father Ian won back-to-back editions of this in 1982 and 1983. While yet to strike in Group 1 company, Eydon finished a fair fourth behind Goliath last time out in the Grand Prix de Chantilly and could pick up some prize money.
Karl Burke has yet to win this race but has claimed French Group 1 success in the Prix Jean Prat, Prix Jean Romanet, Prix Morny, Prix de Diane, and Prix Rothschild. Like Calandagan, Burke’s entry Convergent floundered in the mud in the Coronation Cup but was successful on his only previous trip to France in the 2025 edition of the Prix du Conseil de Paris.
Unlike Balding and Burke, Ralph Beckett has tasted Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud success – winning the 2023 edition with Westover. This year, Pride Of Arras remains in contention for the Kimpton handler. A little over a year ago, this son of New Bay started as the 4/1 second favourite for the Epsom Derby following an impressive win in the Dante Stakes. While he flopped on his big day, he showed that run to be all wrong when mastering Derby champ Lambourn in the Great Voltigeur at York. Not seen at the track since November, a lack of a recent run may count against him, but he is one of the more interesting outsiders.
Can Calandagan return to his brilliant best? Or will one of the British and Irish challengers lower his colours in his own backyard? The 2026 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud gets underway at 5:30 pm on Sunday, 5 July.