No luck for British contingent as Sajir lays down serious marker for Andre Fabre and Prince Faisal in Prix Sigy

Sajir established himself as a three-year-old to follow with a comfortable defeat of Classic Flower in the 5½f Group 3 Prix Sigy, a race that has become an important milestone on the road to the Commonwealth Cup.

Prince Faisal's son of Make Believe ended last season with an easy success in the Listed Prix Saraca over seven furlongs, and it remains to be seen whether his owner-breeder and Andre Fabre will try to stretch out his stamina for the mile of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains on May 12.                 

"We were a little bit worried about the distance going in, but we ran out of options because the ground has not been great everywhere," said Price Faisal's racing and bloodstock manager, Ted Voute. "We had to run to tell us where we go next. He handled the five and a half furlongs quite well from a bad draw."

Voute added: "He's in the French Guineas but whether that's a little bit too far, I don't know. He's from a fast family and I think we'll let the dust settle and see whether we go up to seven, or whether the Prince wants to try him at a mile with the option to drop back. I think that's his call really. 

Sajir made a winning return to action at Chantilly in the Prix Sigy

"There's the Commonwealth Cup and the Jersey at Royal Ascot, while there are options for him in France over seven."

Awarded a mark of 110 by Europe's handicappers at the end of 2023, Sajir was one of two colts trained by Fabre to make it into the two-year-old classification last year, with his 112-rated stablemate Alcantor likely to make his return to action in Thursday's Group 3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket. 

Voute said: "The positive is that we know he's trained on and he is still hanging on to a little bit of a winter coat, so hopefully there's some improvement there. It's great for Make Believe because Sajir comes from the crop after Mishriff and the stallion has been a little bit quiet, though he's very capable of siring a good horse. Hopefully this horse can bring him back into favour a little bit."

There was no luck for the travelling British contingent, with Got To Love A Grey and Action Point cutting out the running into the teeth of a rainstorm, before fading to finish sixth and eighth respectively.

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