Charyn remains the horse to beat in QEII at Ascot despite defeat in the Prix du Moulin

Mickael Barzalona – arguably still best known on these shores for his last-to-first thrust and subsequent audacious celebrations aboard Pour Moi in the 2011 Derby – pinched Sunday’s Group 1 feature at Longchamp from the front, but the best horse surely finished second.

Barzalona no doubt knows the Andre Fabre-trained Tribalist better than most, having ridden him in 20 of his 21 starts including when third in the French Guineas a couple of years ago, and must have felt pre-race odds of around 25/1 for the Prix du Moulin were a bit of an insult to the chestnut’s raw talents.

That’s certainly how he rode the horse anyway, immediately taking a glance to his right after emerging from the outside stall (7) to check if anyone else was keen to get to the front. It turned out they were not and Barzalona duly accepted the offer and ran with it.

The early fractions looked generous enough, but Tribalist’s rider must have got a breather in at some stage – seemingly after angling into the ‘false straight’ – and it then soon became clear this was no pacesetter for Godolphin's far better-fancied Notable Speech, winner of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and Sussex Stakes at Goodwood when last seen.

The market principals had all given him too much rope and were in trouble.

Barzalona kept the revs up on the home turn and didn’t go for his stick until around 250m (a little over a furlong) from the finish, by which point the gallant runner-up was facing an impossible task to bridge the gap, in spite of the leader's stride beginning to shorten close home.

Some may point the finger at the man in the saddle aboard the second, but I’m not convinced by that notion although there were definitely shades of déjà vu with Newbury's Lockinge Stakes earlier in the campaign – the only other time Charyn and Silvestre de Sousa have tasted defeat.

It can happen in horse racing, and often does.

If Saturday once again shone a light on the fact there’s no dominant sprinter around at the moment, Sunday’s Moulin confirmed that Charyn remains the one to beat in the miling division.

The son of Dark Angel - who won a Chantilly Group 2 on his previous visit to France as a juvenile - had five tries in Group 1 company aged three last term and was never better than when third to Paddington in the Irish Guineas, and when filling the same spot behind the same horse in the Sussex Stakes.

He ended 2023 with an official rating of 113 after again rounding out the places - this time behind Angel Bleu and Knight - in the Group 2 Celebration Mile back at Goodwood. But what a transformation for the grey at four, still under the guidance of Roger Varian and in the same ownership (Nurlan Bizakov), but now ridden by de Sousa.

The tenacious Brazilian and equally industrious Charyn have struck up a wonderful partnership this season, kicking off with what one can only assume to have been a confidence-boosting win in Listed company at Doncaster towards the end of March, and not looking back. His BHA ratings stands firm at 122.

The Lockinge and now the Moulin are proof that things rarely go perfectly smoothly for any given horse during a single campaign, but you cannot fault this one’s consistency or high-class level of form in the latter part of the summer, and it was no surprise to see bookmakers sticking with Charyn as clear favourite for next month’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day.

Champion miler? They can’t put the name on the trophy just yet, but I’ve not lost faith on the latest evidence and fully expect a more fitting coronation in six weeks' time.

Tribalist now looks nailed on to return to Longchamp in the Prix de la Foret over Arc weekend and will be a danger to all back in trip, while, as for the others, Henry Longfellow isn't quite living up to his impeccable pedigree and what he showed early on at two.

He'll likely reoppose the second in the QEII, a race won by his dam Minding at the end of her three-year-old career, but whether - like Charyn - he'll be given chance to atone for a disappointing Classic campaign next time around remains to be seen.

Notable Speech doesn't have a lot to prove but didn't look at all comfortable trying to pick up in the testing conditions.

Knowing Charlie Appleby's MO, he might be kept fresh for a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Mile and it's obviously hoped we see that brilliant turn of foot of his again before he's asked to take up stallion duties.

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.