Calandagan returns to Saint-Cloud on Sunday as the 2025 world champion attempts to defend his Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud crown in an eight-runner Group One field featuring Derby and Irish Derby winner Lambourn.
The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained gelding is the centrepiece of the 2,400-metre feature after France Galop confirmed the line-up for the July 5 race at Saint-Cloud. Calandagan won the same prize last year and now has the chance to become only the sixth horse to land back-to-back editions.
It is also a reset point after a mixed start to 2026. Calandagan won the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan before finishing fourth in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, with connections putting that below-par run down to very soft ground and an unsuitable track.
Calandagan chases rare repeat
The home challenge is deep. Aventure, second to Calandagan in last year’s race, returns after winning the Prix Corrida, while Leffard steps back up to 2,400 metres after two runner-up efforts this season.
Lambourn gives the race a major Irish angle for Aidan O’Brien, while British-trained pair Pride Of Arras and Eydon complete the overseas challenge. France Galop also confirmed the race is part of the Arc Races series, with eligible winners earning a Wild Card for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
For Calandagan, the stakes are simple: prove the Epsom run was an outlier and put himself back at the top of Europe’s middle-distance conversation. Full details of the field are available in France Galop’s Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud preview.
