Calandagan aims to finally hit the Group 1 bullseye at the fifth attempt in a compelling Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2400m) in France on Sunday (29 June).

The Francis Graffard-trained gelding has produced top notch performances at this level in his past four outings, but on each occasion has come off second best.

After hitting the mark in a Royal Ascot Group 2 over 2392m last year he raised his sights to compete in York’s G1 International Stakes (2051m), Ascot’s G1 Champion Stakes (2000m), the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m) and the G1 Coronation Cup (2405m), with Mickael Barzalona in the saddle, three weeks ago.

On each occasion, he ran his heart out, only to suffer agonisingly narrow defeats.

Sent off favourite at Epsom on his last start, he was denied after a thrilling prolonged battle with Aidan O’Brien’s 2024 G1 St Leger Stakes (2921m) winner Jan Brueghel.

“He’s a very talented horse and I’m sure he’ll win a Group 1 as he always runs his race. There are no excuses and I think it was a good performance,” Graffard said.

The four-year-old gelding faces four talented rivals, with Graffard’s Goliath, to be ridden by Christophe Soumillon, a danger.

Five-year-old Goliath sprang a 25/1 surprise to land the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2392m) at Ascot last July in an eye-catching performance given the runner-up, Bluestocking, landed the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) later that season.

Subsequently out of luck in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) and Sha Tin’s G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m), Graffard decided Goliath needed a confidence-boosting win and the plan worked with Goliath comfortably claiming the G3 La Coupe (2000m) at ParisLongchamp in his Saint-Cloud warm-up earlier this month.

Best when allowed to relax and set his own pace rather than being held up his front-running style will make this a real test.

“I wanted to find an easier race for him to boost his morale and get him back on the right track,” Graffard said. “Every other time we’ve tried to restrain him and take a lead and it hasn’t worked at all for him,” he added.

Andre Fabre has trained a record-equalling eight Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winners. He relies on Junko to own that benchmark outright.

After landing the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) in 2023, Junko was lightly raced last year, picking up a Group 2, and returns to the top level after two warm-ups against inferior opposition.

Iresine, fourth in this race 12 months ago, is best on soft ground. A Group 1 winner in 2023, he is now an eight-year-old and his best days could be behind him.

Last but by no means least in the five-runner line-up is the only filly in the field, Aventure.

A high-class contender, she excelled when second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and will be at her peak after comfortable wins in both her preparation races. Maxime Guyon is set to ride.

“Aventure appears really well,” trainer Christophe Ferland said this week.