Mahati wins thrilling finish to Longines Grand Prix Handicap at Saint-Cloud

Ridden by jockey Vincent Cheminaud, Mahati was chased all the way to the line by More Than This and Grand Trianon, before winning a short neck margin. Grand Trianon took third a nose’s distance behind More Than This, with Edington taking fourth by a matter of half a length to reflect just how close the leading pack from the initial 16 runners were at the finish.

Along with the Juddmonte Grand Prix of Paris, the Longines Grand Prix Handicap is one of the most eagerly-anticipated horse races in France. It is traditionally held each year on 14 July – Bastille Day, France’s national day -, and usually at Longchamp in Paris.

However due to the remodelling works of this famous racecourse in French captial, which began last year and are scheduled for completion by the end of September this year, the races were moved Saint-Cloud for 2017, after the 2016 races were held at the Chantilly.

There was an even more thrilling finish to the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris as Shakeel denied Permian a first Group 1 race victory.
The traditional Bastille Day feature looked every bit a wide-open contest before the race and it provided a fittingly tight finish as jockey Christophe Soumillon managed to see Shakeel first home by a nose’s distance but only in the final strides.

Nobody in the Aga Khan’s camp believed that the Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained Shakeel had put his head down at the right moment, while Mark Johnston similarly was still scarcely able to believe that Permian had been denied even 15 minutes after the race.

Whilst the outcome at the death will have been tough on Permain who looked likely finally grab a Group 1 success until being caught in the final stride , for Soumillon the victory aboard Shakeel was his 100th Group 1 winner. Venice Beach was third of the nine runners.