Classic hope Zarigana was one of two Stakes winners for Siyouni on Sunday at ParisLongchamp. The Aga Khan Studs homebred – who is a granddaughter of the champion Zarkava – was a Group winning juvenile last year and only just missed out on taking the Gr.1 Prix Marcel Boussac.

Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, Zarigana started favourite for the Gr.3 Prix de la Grotte and duly obliged, putting herself firmly in the frame for the Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in four weeks’ time.

“There is so much expectation and pressure with this filly, but this job is easy for her mechanically which is not a surprise when you look at her pedigree,” said Graffard. “She has a lot of quality and excitement in her, so we need to manage her properly and it is obviously very important to win a Group 1 with her.

“Mickael [Barzalona, jockey] said that as soon as she saw daylight, she changed gear very strongly but when she got to the front she stopped. She needed that mentally big-time. At the moment, she’ll stay at a mile and obviously head back here for the Pouliches, but with maturity later on she could go further.”

Siyouni was also the sire of Al Asayl homebred Mont De Soleil, who won the Listed Prix Lord Seymour by four lengths to take his second Stakes success. Meanwhile Siyouni colt Nitoi, owned and bred by the Wertheimer brothers, ran a great race to finish second in the Gr.3 Prix Noailles on just his second racecourse start.

On the same card, the Mikel Delzangles-trained and Aga Khan homebred Ridari got up to win the Gr.3 Prix de Fontainebleau. The Churchill colt is out of Gr.1 Prix d’Opéra winner Ridasiyna, who has been covered by Churchill’s Classic-winning son Vadeni this season. He should now head to the Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains.

“I’m very pleased, as he’s not an easy horse - he can be quite keen, so the jockey gave him a real good ride,” said his trainer. “He quickened nicely and it was a good prep for the big one in four weeks’ time. He’s a May foal and not even three yet, so there should be more to come. His dam was like him, quite keen but with a lot of class.”