Horse Racing Buzz

Bel La Vie (Guillaume Macaire/Bertrand Lestrade) gained revenge over several of his old rivals when taking the last Group 1 jumps event of the year in France at Auteuil on Sunday.

Johnny Murtagh ended the week in which he resigned as number one jockey to Aidan O’Brien on a high when partnering Ballydoyle runner Recital to an easy win in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

Kauto Stone, half-brother to Kauto Star wins his first Grade 1 race in the Prix Maurice Gillois at Auteuil, France on Sunday.

Some will claim it was purely down to the “very soft” ground but other than a below par performance finishing seventh in the St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he was reported by trainer Mike Delzangles to have been suffering with a throat infection, Makfi arguably had some of the strongest form on offer coming into the race.

Olivier Peslier steered wonder mare Goldikova to her tenth career Group One victory in the 1m Prix Rothschild for 3yo fillies at Deauville on Sunday, equalling the record set by Miesque who had until now been the only European trained horse to achieve ten victories in Group/Grade One events since the introduction of pattern racing in the 1970s.