Rayif surged clear in the final 300 meters to win the Prix Jacques Le Marois on Sunday, giving France its first victory in the Group 1 sprint-mile since 2017 and handing the Aga Khan Studs their first success in the race since 1973.
The French three-year-old colt, ridden by Mickael Barzalona and trained by Francis-Henri Graffard in Chantilly, was held up for much of the race in the group racing on the far side before making his run. He beat British-trained Zeus Olympios by a neck, his jockey Christophe Lee losing his whip in the closing stages, though it did not cost him victory. Irish-trained Precise finished a further half-length back in third.
The win completed a rare double for Rayif, who also took the Poule d'Essai des Poulains earlier this season – a combination last achieved by Vahorimix in 2001. It was Graffard's second Group 1 of the Deauville meeting, following Samangan's victory in the Prix Maurice de Gheest on Aug. 9, and the first Jacques Le Marois success for both trainer and jockey.
"I think what Rayif has already achieved is magnificent," Graffard told France Galop. "He has won the Poule d'Essai and the Jacques Le Marois... He is simply a good horse. He had already shown that in the Poule d'Essai, where he had a somewhat similar trip. He came through on the inside, quickened well and, when he was challenged, he found more."
Graffard said the colt was being aimed at the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October. "If the ground is soft, he can handle it; if it is fast, he can handle that too. If I had to set him one target for the end of the year, that would be it."
Barzalona, claiming his first win in the race, described the feeling as "a waking dream."
"I'm part of a team where everything is working extremely well," Barzalona told France Galop. "Once I had found my position during the race with Rayif, I was well placed, with horses who had good chances right beside me and others who were a little exposed. The race was run at a very even pace."
Runner-up Zeus Olympios, trained by Karl Burke, is now facing a decision on his future. "We beat a filly, Precise, who was receiving a lot of weight from us. And she is a Guineas winner. So, you know, there is no disgrace in finishing second here today," Burke told France Galop, adding that a start at Longchamp in early September was unlikely but that Ascot's Champions Day would be considered.
Further back, the two Japanese-trained runners, Strauss and Sixpence, were never in contention and filled the last two places. Strauss's jockey, Hong Kong-based Brazilian Joao Moreira, said afterward that the colt simply failed to quicken when asked in the closing stages, while trainer Ryo Takei pointed to ground conditions as a possible factor.
