Exciting Aga Khan colt and one-time Guineas contender returns to sprinting as team eye Royal Ascot target

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Samangan, who was a midweek withdrawal before the 2,000 Guineas, will bid to prove himself a candidate for top sprinting honours among his generation in the Group 3 Prix Texanita (3.50) at Chantilly on Tuesday, a trial for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

A dual Group winner over six furlongs at two, the Aga Khan Studs' Blue Point colt stepped up to seven furlongs when second in the Prix Djebel at Deauville last month, but was ruled out of a first crack at a mile by trainer Francis Graffard after unsatisfactory results from his final post-gallop blood tests showed he would not be at 100 per cent to travel to Newmarket.

With Rayif having established himself as one of Europe's leading three-year-old milers in winning the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, the owners now appear to have a readymade colt to aim at the St James's Palace Stakes next month, though Samangan holds an entry for that mile race as well as the Commonwealth Cup over six furlongs.

Racing manager Nemone Routh said: "Samangan had a little bit of time off and then Mickael [Barzalona] rode him in a gallop last week and said he was back to working like the horse he was last year, that he was much more reactive.

Nemone Routh, racing manager to the Aga Khan in France

Nemone Routh, racing manager to the Aga Khan Studs in France Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"The question mark with him will be the very testing ground, because he's never run on anything softer than 3.5 on the penetrometer [souple, or the equivalent of good to soft], and we think he's essentially a good-ground horse.

"Francis has always had the Commonwealth Cup in mind, but as we had Rayif for the Poule d'Essai at Longchamp, and Samangan handles a straight course so well, we thought we'd try to nurse him over a mile. But he wasn't right so we didn't do that, and hopefully if he runs well, we can go to the Commonwealth Cup."

Karl Burke sends Pearl Fortune back to Chantilly on a retrieval mission, the filly having performed a long way below expectations when only 12th in the Group 3 Prix Sigy last month, a race in which reopposing trio Kimi Rey was second, Street Show seventh and Kailani eighth.

In the Listed Prix Finlande (2.40), Graffard and the Aga Khan Studs will be hoping that Zayida can confirm herself a contender for next month's Prix de Diane Longines, though she too will need to prove her aptitude for what is likely to be very deep ground at Chantilly.

By Sam Hendry

1. Newmarket powerhourses go head-to-head

No trainers have had more winners at the start of the turf season than William Haggas and John and Thady Gosden, and the Newmarket operations go head-to-head on Tuesday in the opener at Nottingham (2.20) with two potentially smart three-year-olds. The Gosdens’ Runman is unbeaten in two starts, including when a 1-12 shot in a nine-runner novice at Epsom last month, and is a half-brother to the stable’s Group 2 winner Running Lion. However, he carries a double penalty and has to concede a stone to Shadwell’s Adamlyi for Haggas. The form of his recent second at Yarmouth was boosted when the winner, Euston Hall, followed up in a handicap at Newbury on Saturday.

2. Snowden bids to continue hot streak

All Jamie Snowden’s last nine runners to have completed have finished in the top two, with four of those winning. After setting personal bests on all relevant metrics last season, the Lambourn trainer is clearly in no mood to let the momentum slip and sends two runners to Huntingdon on Tuesday evening. Garde My Guinness gets a chance to bounce back from an underwhelming debut over hurdles in the 2m maiden hurdle (6.00), but Snowden’s best chance could be Ride Like A Girl in the 2m mares’ handicap hurdle (7.00). She was a well-backed favourite on her handicap debut in November but couldn’t justify that support. The market could be telling on her first start since and having had a wind operation in the meantime.

3. Channon heads north before Classic bid

It’s a big week for West Ilsley trainer Jack Channon as he prepares Fred Darling winner Sukanya for the Irish 1,000 Guineas on Sunday, and he has plenty more lined up for some of the other Group prizes on offer at Haydock and the Curragh. Before that, he sends Concert on a 282-mile trip north to Newcastle for the 6f fillies’ handicap (5.05). Channon’s 32 per cent strike-rate at the all-weather track (nine winners from 28 runners) is his third highest at any course in Britain, and this looks a slightly easier assignment for Concert than the previous two handicaps she has contested for Channon since moving from William Haggas for the start of this season.

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