There was much to absorb over the last weekend and, significantly for the tier of horseracing which prompts so much fan engagement, the two best horses in Europe both returned victorious in Dubai.Calandagan (Gleneagles) and Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), first and second in last year's Qipco Champion Stakes and just two pounds apart in the 2025 Longines World Rankings, each put down an important marker for the season ahead, in the Dubai Sheema Classic and Dubai Turf respectively. And, yes, perhaps one can argue that there wasn't the usual amount of depth to the fields that they beat in a year in which the Dubai World Cup was beset by issues beyond its control. But there is a long season ahead and, thankfully, both of these five-year-olds will be at the vanguard of the big names to support as the European Group 1 season gets rolling.Francis Graffard gets it. “He's important for the sport, a flagship for the sport, and we won't be frightened to travel again,” he said of Calandagan after his three-quarter-length victory over West Wind Blows (Teofilo), who posted a mighty performance under an enlightened ride by Rossa Ryan and had a few onlookers shifting uncomfortably in their seats as he turned for home with a commanding lead.As possible targets like Australia's Cox Plate – which crucially this year is run on the more galloping track of Flemington while Moonee Valley is renovated – and the Breeders' Cup were discussed for later in the year, Graffard was plainly aware of how much the Aga Khan Studs' Calandagan is becoming something of a people's horse. The Calandafans are everywhere. “We don't want to be greedy about it, we have to respect the horse,” He said. “But I just said to [Princess] Zahra, 'I hope your passport is okay for this year because we're going to travel.'”John and Thady Gosden, too, are never shy of travelling, and in Ombudsman they celebrated their fourth win in the Dubai Turf in six years, following the three consecutive wins of Lord North between 2021 and 2023. All roads for him appear to lead initially towards a defence of his crown in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. He is joined by Juddmonte's Field Of Gold (Kingman) and Wathnan Racing's Damysus (Frankel) among some of the older prospects to look forward to from the Gosden stable for the season ahead.Leading breeder honours for GodolphinIn Dubai, Godolphin celebrated a third Group 1 victory for the James Hanly-bred Ombudsman, but also featured as breeder of three of the winners on World Cup night. First up was Banishing (Ghostzapper), winner of the G2 Godolphin Mile, and he was followed by the progressive mare Fairy Glen, who took the G2 Dubai Gold Cup in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum for Simon and Ed Crisford. The daughter of Farhh is out of the Dubawi mare Natural Scenery, who was sold to Eishin Farm for €70,000 just over three years ago and has a three-year-old Invincible Spirit filly, A Shin Ihnen, racing for her in Japan as well as a two-year-old filly by A Shin Hikari to follow. Natural Scenery is herself out of the Wildenstein-bred Argentina (Sadler's Wells), who was runner-up to Divine Proportions in the G1 Prix de Diane and is a great grand-daughter of the brilliant Allez France (Sea-Bird).The G1 Al Quoz Sprint then went to the Godolphin-bred Native Approach (Too Darn Hot), who had won twice at three for Charlie Appleby before joining Ahmad bin Harmash. The latter had a night to remember after winning both of the Group 1 sprints on the card with five-year-old Native Approach and four-year-old Dark Saffron (Flameaway), who completed back-to-back runnings of the Golden Shaheen with Connor Beasley aboard. Ombudsman strikes in the Dubai Turf | DRCA performance of some Magnitude With three hotly anticipated odds-on favourites for the three major races at Meydan on Saturday, the only one not to oblige was Forever Young (Real Steel), who, despite never looking as menacing as he can be in running, still battled on stoically to be beaten just a length in second. The winner of the 30th Dubai World Cup, Magnitude, was magnificent throughout, however, and victory never looked in doubt for the son of Not This Time. Around this time last year, Magnitude had looked a thrilling contender for the Kentucky Derby when winning the GII Risen Star Stakes by almost ten lengths under Ben Curtis. Alas, he was ruled out of a Classic campaign by injury only days later but gradually built back up to a shot at the top level when beating last year's World Cup winner Hit Show (Into Mischief) at Churchill Downs last November. He now looks a formidable campaigner for the year ahead for Steve Asmussen, who was not present in Dubai but won the World Cup for the second time after the victory of Curlin in 2008.Erdenali so impressive on debutNo sooner had Mickael Barzalona touched down back in Paris on Sunday than he was hopping aboard a three-year-old whose name will have been scribbled in many notebooks alongside the words 'The next Calandagan?'Erdenali became the latest TDN Rising Star at Saint-Cloud when merely cantering round to win the Prix Kashmir II by six and a half lengths with Barzalona called upon for the minimum of effort. The jockey, who appeared not even to have to shake his reins at Erdenali, was like the Man from Snowy River, never shifting in his seat.It is of course far too early to compare him to Calandagan other than by the bare facts that Erdenali is a gelding and happens to be a well-bred individual from the Aga Khan Studs. It seems too soon to be seeing the 2015 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Coronation Stakes winner Ervedya (Siyouni) in the second generation of pedigrees but there she is as the granddam of Erdenali, who is by Caravaggio out of the lightly raced Erdana, a Sea The Stars half-sister to the operation's young stallion Erevann. Erdenali wasn't the only decent winner for Graffard at Saint-Cloud over the last week either. Last Tuesday he was represented by Calandagan's half-sister Calasita (Zarak), who looked reassuringly smart when winning the Prix Mirska on just her second start. Her trainer also had his first two-year-old winner of the year that same afternoon when Say Squirrel (Kodi Bear) struck in the Prix du Debut. It was a good week for Kodi Bear juveniles with A Bear Affair later taking the Brocklesby Stakes for Richard Hannon.Graffard also sent out the Aga Khan Studs' Asmarani (Sottsass) to win the Listed Prix Right Royal on Sunday at Saint-Cloud to seal a throughly satisfying week for France's reigning champion trainer. Asmarani too has benefited from being gelded over the winter and, with two wins under his belt this month, he is likely to head next to the G3 Prix de Barbeville on April 26.Constitution Hill a big draw once moreThough Calandagan may hold greater international appeal, there is no mistaking the regard in which Constitution Hill (Blue Bresil) is held in Britain. The nine-year-old, who is effectively conducting his career in reverse by being reinvented as a Flat horse after being the Champion Hurdler of 2023, returned to the all-weather last Wednesday to draw to Kempton its most vibrant crowd outside its Christmas meeting.Constitution Hill is now two-from-two on the Flat and will doubtless bolster the gate figures at Newbury if he turns up for the G3 John Porter Stakes on April 18. Echoing Graffard's words above, this is another horse who is so important for the sport, and while some jumps fans may have been disappointed by this career change, Constitution Hill adds an extra level of intrigue to what is already looking a thrilling year in the older-horse division – and that's before we even start to see which of the Classic generation will shape into something special. Big Gossey a Curragh stapleFor the sofa-surfers at home on Saturday there was much channel-hopping to be done between Meydan, the Curragh, Doncaster and Kempton. Another older gelding Big Gossey (Gutaifan) put the youngsters firmly in their place when romping away with the Listed Gladness Stakes for the second year in a row, this time at 25/1. Those odds may have been lengthened somewhat by the presence in the field of the much vaunted favourite Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett), who was returning from a 307-day lay-off to test his Classic credentials after winning the G3 Marble Hill Stakes last May.He now seems likely to stick to sprinting rather than having a stab at the Guineas after finishing four and a half lengths adrift of Big Gossey in sixth. Unlike Calandagan and the jetsetters, the mighty grey Big Gossey doesn't like to stray too far from home, and who can blame him when he has a world-class racecourse close at hand? The Charles O'Brien-trained nine-year-old, who has run 86 times over the last seven seasons, has made 50 of those appearances at the Curragh, where he now a nine-time winner. He occasionally ventures to Dundalk but he doesn't like to take too many chances. The three-year-old who did catch the eye at the Curragh on Saturday – as well he might, having been runner-up last year to Derby favourite Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) – was Shaihaan. The Night Of Thunder colt was described by his trainer Donnacha O'Brien as “huge” and is being considered as a contender for the Irish Derby after a convincing win in the ten-furlong maiden. Bred by Sunderland Holdings and bought by Al Shaqab Racing at Tattersalls October Book 1 for 180,000gns, he is a son of the Listed-winning Sea The Stars mare Sea Of Faith, a sister to the G1 Sydney Cup winner Shraaoh.Donny double for ChannonThe Channons' West Ilsley stable has now won the William Hill Lincoln twice in the last five years, with Mick Channon having trained the 2022 winner Johan (Zoffany) and his son Jack landing the spoils this year. The latter came in the tightest of finishes thanks to Jonathan Mitchell's homebred Urban Lion (Zoustar), who won by the bob of a head from Rogue Diplomat (Calyx).Jack Channon landed a notable double on the opening day of the turf season with Mezcala (Expert Eye) having also won the Spring Mile, a Lincoln consolation race. The four-year-old won in colours which have had notable success at Doncaster during this particular meeting. Mezcala is raced by his breeders Jon and Julia Aisbitt, and his dam Why We Dream (Al Kazeem) is a half-sister to the aformentioned Johan. The Aisbitts also won last year's Lincoln with another homebred, Godwinson (Saxon Warrior), who was trained then by William Haggas but has joined Channon's stable over the winter. Pina Sonata is the second stakes winner for her dam this year | RacingfotosFanshawe's stakes double for SlackIt has also been a good start to the year for James Fanshawe, who won a competitive running of the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes on Saturday with Mary Slack's homebred Pina Sonata (Pinatubo).The four-year-old filly is out of the Galileo mare Moonlight Sonata, who is enjoying a good year via her offspring based at Fanshawe's Pegasus Stables as Pina Sonata's year-older half-sister Sky Safari (Zoustar) has already won the G3 Winter Derby. Sky Safari also races for her South African breeder, who owns Wilgerbosdrift in the Western Cape, which is home to four stallions.Another notable winner for Fanshawe in the past week was Estissa (Dubawi), the first foal of his Breeders' Cup heroine Audarya (Wootton Bassett), who won on her second start at Wolverhampton for owner-breeder Alison Swinburn. 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