Almanzor made another memorable impact at the highest international level over the weekend when his daughter Gezora doubled her Group One tally with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Turf (2200m) at Del Mar.
She was bred in France where Cambridge Stud’s stallion son of the ill-fated Wootton Bassett stood at Haras d’Etreham before full breeding rights were secured by Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s farm in 2024 following six seasons of shuttle duty.
The Gr.1 French Oaks (2100m) heroine had finished out of the frame at her previous start in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) and bounced back in dazzling style in California for trainer Francis Graffard and rider Mickael Barzalona.
It was a first Breeders’ Cup success for the Chantilly-based horseman and a second for Barzalona.
“What a perfect run and what a filly she is. She’s small but has the biggest heart of any I’ve ever trained. She’s amazing and gives us so much emotion,” Graffard told the Racing Post.
“It’s a meeting I absolutely admire, and I really want to be competitive here. We’ll keep trying, it’s done now and we’ll look for the next one.”
It was also a landmark moment for Graffard, who recorded his 13th top-level win of the season, equalling the record for a French trainer set by Andre Fabre in 1992.
Barzalona had ridden stablemate Daryz to victory in the Arc and was reunited with Gezora at Del Mar after winning the Gr.2 Prix Saint Alary (2000m) on the three-year-old and finishing runner-up in the Gr.1 Prix Vermeille (2400m).
“She’s a top-class filly. We got a good spot in the race, it never slowed down, and I had to ask her to go early, but she was very good to catch the one in front,” he said.
Gezora has been an outstanding international flagbearer for Almanzor with five wins from 10 appearances and was raced by Haras d’Etreham before she was purchased by Peter Brandt’s White Birch Farm after she had won two of her first four starts.
She is a daughter of the Silver Hawk mare Germance, who won five races including the Saint-Alary when it carried Group 1 status and also finished runner-up in the French Oaks.