Francis-Henri Graffard secured a stunning 100-1 upset as his trainee Vertical Blue triumphed over the heavily favoured Zarigana in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp. The pre-race buzz centred on Zarigana, the Aga Khan-owned favourite and granddaughter of the legendary Zarkava. After travelling in mid-division, it seemed Zarigana would only need to catch Aidan O'Brien's front-running Exactly to take the win.
However, her stablemate Vertical Blue kept pace and in a thrilling finish, the judge declared the outsider as the victor, with Zarigana narrowly beaten into second and Exactly finishing third.
Graffard expressed his delight, saying, "It’s unbelievable, both fillies are amazing. Zarigana is a real champion with a strong turn of foot, but Vertical Blue has experience, and on a big galloping track like this, I knew she'd be competitive. It was close, but I’m happy with the result."
Francis Teboul, owner of Vertical Blue under Gemini Stud and Argella Racing, added, "Our emotions were running high—we were debating whether to run her in the Arqana series or the Prix Marcel Boussac. We knew she had quality, and Francis-Henri assured us she was in great form. We thought we had nothing to lose but never expected to beat the champion!"
Nemone Routh, racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs, was optimistic despite Zarigana’s narrow defeat: "Zarigana ran really well; she's a sensitive filly with areas for improvement. When Mickaël Barzalona pulls her out, she tends to quicken immediately. We thought she had won crossing the post, but she has a bright future ahead and will likely start her 2025 campaign over 1,600 meters. We're disappointed but that's racing—she's come a long way in a short time."