The international stakes calendar is in full swing with top class races occuring in Europe and Asia this weekend. In France, Longchamp ran a pair of Group 1 events this morning: the Prix d'Ispahan at nine furlongs for older males and the Prix Saint-Alary for three-year-old fillies at a mile and a quarter. The ground at Longchamp was rated "soft" on Saturday. Maxios (GB) ran down Planteur (IRE) in the final strides to win the Prix d'Ispahan (replay above), while Silasol (IRE) used a strong late charge to win the Prix Saint-Alary.
Silasol won the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches at Longchamp last October during Arc weekend and is the daughter of a Gulch mare, Stormina.
Maxios, winner of the Group 2 Prix d'Harcourt at Longchamp in early April, is out of a Nureyev mare, Moonlight's Box. Moonlight Box is notable for producing Bago (FR), winner of the 2004 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Both Maxios and and Silasol are offspring of Monsun (GER), the powerhouse German horse who sired such notable runners as Manduro, Shirocco, Stacelita, and Schiaparelli before his death in 2012 at the age of 22. He's sired (at last count) 164 stakes winners in Europe with a ridiculously consistent percentage of winners from seven to fourteen furlongs.
Elsewhere in Europe:Just The Judge (GB) won the Group 1 Irish 1,000 Guineas on Sunday morning, while Al Kazeem (GB) won the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup over Camelot (GB). A day earlier, Magician (GB) won the Irish 2,000 Guineas. Magician is a son of Galileo (IRE) while Just The Judge is by former French Derby winner Lawman (FR).
And finally, last night in Japan, Kizuna (JPN) won the Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun, otherwise known as the Japanese Derby. Kizuna is a son of Deep Impact (JPN) out of a Storm Cat mare (Catequil).