Prix de La Forêt
Group 1, ParisLongchamp 16:25
£312,500 guaranteed,
3yo plus,
Class 1, 6f 211y  
Sunday 5th October 2025

1 Maranoa Charlie 22/5
2 Zarigana 21/10F
3 Ten Bob Tony 19/1
16 ran Distances: 1¼l, 1½l, hd
Time: 1m 20.80s (slow by 2.50s)

Maranoa Charlie lived up to his billing and then some, striding clear in imperious fashion to with a performance full of rhythm, resolve, and raw authority.

Under a front-running masterclass from Aurélien Lemaître, the 5-1 shot — trained by Christopher Head for Bond Thoroughbred Limited of Yorkshire — seized control from the very first stride. Lemaître sent him straight to the sharp end, dictating the pace with confidence, ears flicking, stride lengthening, every rival feeling the heat. And as they turned for home, there was no catching him. The favourite Zarigana tried to close, but the truth was clear well before the line — Maranoa Charlie had made all, and made it look easy.

In the winner’s circle, the emotion was written all over Charlie Bond’s face.

“We’re so lucky, I’m lost for words really.

He’s had three runs for us now and nearly won two Group Ones before today. He’s just an amazing horse, an amazing looking horse, we’re just so lucky.

Christopher said he’d been working so well going into today’s race and he was back on home territory after travelling across to England for his last run. He said he was ready today and couldn’t see him getting beat.

The jockey said he had more in the tank and knew where the line was.”

It was the sound of a man still half in disbelief, half already dreaming about what might come next.

“There were plenty of offers before today. I’ll have to turn the phone off and celebrate tonight and see what we wake up to in the morning.

Christopher is in charge, so if he wants to race on next year then so be it.”

If Bond was the dreamer, Christopher Head was the craftsman — and for him, this was the satisfying sight of months of work coming perfectly to fruition.

“He’s a horse that always went with the pace and we taught him to work like that. He’s now a more mature horse than he was at the beginning of the year and he is now absolutely able to go in front and long term he would be able to do the mile really well.

It was extremely satisfying to see him win here today, especially accelerating in this manner.”

And there could be even bigger stages ahead.

“He would be able to race in America since he can be so fast at the beginning of the race and we all know in America you need to have that aptitude to be able to be in the game.

Definitely a mile race in America is not a problem for him, but the only question mark is the interest for him and his career as a stallion because we are looking to build a stallion for Mr Bond and helping him become more powerful in the industry in the long term.”

So at Longchamp, on the day of champions, Maranoa Charlie not only led them a merry dance — he may just have danced his way onto the global stage. Front to back, start to finish, it was his race, his rhythm, his moment.

BoyleSports

Qatar Prix De La Foret (Group 1)
£312,500 guaranteed, 3yo plus, 6f 211y, Class 1
16 ran
Going:Very Soft

POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (4)    Maranoa Charlie 3 9-0 Christopher Head Aurelien Lemaitre 22/5
2 (6) 1¼ Zarigana 3 8-10 F-H Graffard Mickael Barzalona 21/10F
3 (5) 1½ Ten Bob Tony 4 9-2 Ed Walker Kieran Shoemark 19/1
4 (16) hd More Thunder 4 9-2 William Haggas Tom Marquand 61/10
5 (2) nk Geography 4 9-2 P Schiergen Andrasch Starke 35/1
6 (14) 1¼ Exxtra 5 8-13 C & Y Lerner James Doyle 104/1
7 (1) 1¾ Godspeed 3 8-10 C & Y Lerner Alexis Pouchin 34/1
8 (9) snk Roshvar 4 9-2 F-H Graffard Clement Lecoeuvre 21/1
9 (7) nk King's Gamble 4 9-2 Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan 54/1
10 (13) nk Sajir 4 9-2 A Fabre Oisin Murphy 76/10
11 (11) 2½ Zoum Zoum 4 9-2 Ralph Beckett Hector Crouch 102/1
12 (15) 3½ Witness Stand 4 9-2 Dr Richard Newland & Jamie Insole Hollie Doyle 30/1
13 (8) 1¼ Topgear 6 9-2 Christopher Head Stephane Pasquier 13/1
14 (12) ½ Devil's Point 4 9-2 David Menuisier Colin Keane 128/1
15 (10) 1 Zerostress 9 9-2 S Smrczek Michael Cadeddu 101/1
16 (3) 1½ Exactly 3 8-10 A P O'Brien Christophe Soumillon 87/10