'When you ask her the turbo really kicks in' - Zarigana impresses in French Guineas rehearsal

If the most exciting sight in Flat racing is to watch a horse with a real turn of foot played daringly late, then it is possible that Zarigana might produce more than her share of thrills as the season progresses. 

Mickael Barzalona has learned the Aga Khan Studs' regally bred daughter of Siyouni needs to be the last to attack and, with energy pent up in the 189 days since her fractional defeat in the Prix Marcel Boussac, he left Zarigana with barely a furlong and a half of the Prix de la Grotte to work with before he let her at the front-running Shes Perfect. 

That may have been more than early enough as having raced by her rival, the granddaughter of Zarkava felt no compulsion to labour the point in the final few strides of the Longchamp Group 3 contest on Sunday, winning by a neck.

"She has such a powerful action that takes her into her races and then when you ask her the turbo really kicks in," said trainer Francis Graffard. "When Mickael asked her to stretch clear she thought the job was done, and she's not typical in that sense.

"Mentally, that will have done her a lot of good because she really needed to go back to the races. I think that, with a view to the Poule [d'Essai des Pouliches] in four weeks, it's great to have her back on track and for her to win. 

"She has such a turn of foot and you need to be patient, you don't want to get there too soon. She's all quality and on good ground she's extremely effective. I hope everything goes well between now and the main objective."

Graffard and the watching Princess Zahra Aga Khan will have been pleased with how calm Zarigana was when reshod down at the start, the red hood she carried before the race and her restless impatience with the photographers afterwards both testament to the fact she can go from 0-60 just as fast temperament-wise as in terms of her physical acceleration.

The massed ranks of the Basher Watts syndicate with Prix de la Grotte runner-up Shes PerfectCredit: Racing Post/Burton

Charlie Fellowes and Kieran Shoemark would have killed for an inside draw and some cover for Shes Perfect and in the circumstances she ran a huge race when making the running on sufferance.

"She pinged the lids from out wide and Shoey had no choice but to slide across and just let her bowl along," said Fellowes. "She'll come on for this, she's not rock-hard fit and she'll improve, so I'm delighted with that, she's run a cracker."

Ridari routs rivals

If Zarigana arrived at Longchamp carrying the weight of expectation then Ridari's last-gasp victory in the Prix de Fontainebleau was more of a surprise, for all that he showed plenty of promise in two prior starts on going much different to the good ground he encountered here.

Ridari led on the line in the Prix de Fontainebleau to set-up a Classic-trial double for the Aga Khan StudsCredit: Racing Post/Burton

Trainer Mikel Delzangles said: "I think he's had a very good lesson today and proved he has the quality for the Poule [d'Essai des Poulains]. There will be more runners and it won't be easy, but he's earned the right to have a crack."

Uther lands Noailles in style

Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's Sosie was one of the best French three-year-olds last season and his half-brother Uther looks to have a decent future after sailing down the middle of the track to land the Prix Noailles.

Mickael Barzalona debriefs Christophe Ferland (right) after Uther's Prix Noailles winCredit: Racing Post/Burton

Trainer Christophe Ferland said: "He has a long acceleration rather than a real turn of foot and, talking to Mickael [Barzalona], he became a little disorganised, but once he was balanced he picked up well.

"He's still a big baby but he has quality, and I don't think he'll have any problem staying a mile and a half in time. Next he could go to the Prix Greffulhe."

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