‘It Was a Big Gamble’: Graffard’s Faith In Sahlan Pays Off With Surprise Moulin Win, BC Mile In Plans

[Wandering Eyes]

Coming into Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp very much under the radar, Al Shaqab's Sahlan (Wootton Bassett) continued Francis Graffard's remarkable season with a narrow success. Edging the photo ahead of Rosallion (Blue Point) under Mickael Barzalona, the G3 Prix Daphnis winner landed odds of 16-1 by a short head from racing's hard-luck story who was flashing home. There was a neck back to The Lion In Winter (Sea The Stars), with half a length to Alcantor (New Bay) who had tried to break free in the straight.

“I said to the owner 'it's a big gamble' and he believed in me, so it's paid off,” Graffard said minutes after Goliath had won the Grosser Preis von Baden. “I always liked this horse and he had a lot of excuses in the Poule d'Essai and was then sick after running in a Listed race. I won't run again on soft ground–that's the softest I'd run him on–and if he is well, the Breeders' Cup Mile could be a target. We will probably keep him in training at four.”

 

Sahlan just manages to repel Rosallion to land the Group One Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp! pic.twitter.com/XdBQFMHTzY

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 7, 2025

 

 

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
QATAR PRIX DU MOULIN DE LONGCHAMP-G1, €800,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-7, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:35.39, g/s.
1–SAHLAN (IRE), 123, c, 3, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Wasmya (Fr) (SW-Ger & SP-Fr), by Toronado (Ire)
2nd Dam: Lamorlaye (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
3rd Dam: Love To Dance (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Al Shaqab Racing; T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €457,120. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-0, €524,710. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rosallion (Ire), 129, c, 4, Blue Point (Ire)–Rosaline (Ire), by New Approach (Ire). O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; T-Richard Hannon. €182,880.
3–The Lion In Winter (Ire), 123, c, 3, Sea The Stars (Ire)–What A Home (Ire), by Lope De Vega (Ire). TDN Rising Star. (€375,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Sunderland Holding Inc; T-Aidan O'Brien. €91,440.
Margins: SHD, NK, HF. Odds: 16.10, 3.30, 36.00.
Also Ran: Alcantor (Fr), Henri Matisse (Ire), Quddwah (GB), Lead Artist (GB), Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire), Dancing Gemini (Ire), Serengeti (Fr), Go To First (Jpn), Persica (Ire).

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