Rayif, who is a half-brother to Group 1 placed sprinter Rayevka, becomes only the tenth horse to win this race and the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, and the first to do so for 25 years. 

"He's a very smart horse,” said winning trainer Francis-Henri Graffard. “He's very laid back at home, but he knows what he's doing and he's very game. Everybody was saying he's a soft ground horse, but you need to keep trying. To find a place at stud they need to be performing at this level. 

"The Jacques le Marois is a very famous race, probably the second-most famous race in France after the Arc, so it's a wonderful one to win." 

"Once he found his rhythm he travelled very easily," added jockey Mickaël Barzalona. "I had a few nice horses in front of me, who I knew could take me closer to the front line. When I asked him to do the job, he did it very well and won the race in a nice way. He seems like he's improved since the Guineas and he's just a very good horse who can go wherever."

The victory marked a seventh Group 1 success for the Aga Khan Studs in 2026, and Princess Zahra Aga Khan was present to collect the trophy from France Galop President Guillaume de Saint-Seine.

“It’s a family that we’ve added some speed back into, and it seems to work,” said Princess Zahra of her homebred son of Sea The Moon and Rayisa. “He has an interesting pedigree, he’s an interesting horse, he’s very good-looking, and he’s very brave.”

“Rayif was born in Ireland, so everyone is part of this. All of the studs in Ireland, the studs in France, and the stable yards in both countries. You know, everyone is working together to get to this point and to be able to produce good horses.

“It [the win] means an awful lot to the entire team.”

The were nine races on the Aga Khan Studs day card, with Godolphin, Coolmore and the Wertheimer brothers amongst the winning owners together with Mme Christian Wingtans, Mr Gérard Augustin-Normand, Mme Marianne Pasler and Mme Corine Barande Barbe.

The Listed Prix Nureyev went the way of Wertheimer et Frère’s homebred Zaraki, who became a new Stakes winner for Zarak.