Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 22 September 2025

Hi there,

You have to keep an eye on everything at the moment, with Group-class two-year-olds making their debuts in midweek maidens, but last week my eyes were drawn to two horses in France.

The first was Velikaya, who showed a useful turn of foot to win a 1m 2f handicap at Saint-Cloud by four and a half lengths from Ferdinand Premier.

Trained by Francis Graffard, this three-year-old daughter of Frankel is out of the Dansili mare Veda, a 1m winner and French 1000 Guineas runner up, and a half-sister to three winners including Group 2 1m 6f and 1m 7f winner Valia.

Velikaya had won an extended 1m 2f maiden at Cholet in June and I imagine the main aim now is to acquire some black type. Her pedigree points to her staying at least a mile and a half and she is one to look out for this autumn, possibly on Arc day.

The other horse to catch my eye in France last week was Flamme Rouge, who won an extended 1m 2f handicap at Saint-Cloud on the same day as Velikaya.

Ridden by Oisin Murphy, who had turned down winning opportunities in England to take this mount, the daughter of Sea The Stars also displayed a bright turn of foot to pull clear and beat Star Of Love by five and a half lengths.

Trained, like Velikaya, by Francis Graffard, Flamme Rouge is out of the Dubawi mare Anaita, a winner at up to nine furlongs and from a useful German middle-distance family.

Flamme Rouge is a half-sister to four winners including 1m 2f Group 3 winner Accon.

The Racing Post does not have the filly’s complete form. This was actually her fourth success of the season, having had form figures of 7442 as a two-year-old last year.

This year started with a maiden victory at Fontainebleau in April, and then victories
at Nantes in July and a handicap at Clairefontaine last month.

The fact that Oisin Murphy travelled over to France for this one ride says much for the esteem in which she is held and, like stable-companion Velikaya, she is bred to improve for the step up to a mile and a half, or further.

Both Velikaya and Flamme Rouge are progressing at an ideal time for the prestigious autumn prizes in France and both fillies should be acquiring black type before too long.

Looking nearer to home, we have the important three-day Cambridgeshire meeting this week, featuring seven Group races including the Middle Park Stakes, the Cheveley Park Stakes and the Royal Lodge Stakes.

You can access my thoughts for this meeting by subscribing to the Daily Bulletin, or Telephone & Text service, covering the three days for just £10.

I hope you will be joining me for this important meeting.

I’ll be back next week with more thoughts.

Bye for now,

Why wait a week? Receive Marten’s free horse racing publication Weekly Roundup the day it is written in full for free every Monday evening by clicking here & signing up for our free Newsletter

© Copyright in all Marten Julian Publications is strictly reserved by the publishers. No material therein may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from Marten Julian.