No excuses for Youmzain run

Connections of Youmzain were left scratching their heads after his performance in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on Sunday.Mick Channon's six-year-old was attempting a repeat of his victory in the Group One race 12 months earlier, but partnered by Christophe Soumillon for the first time, he could finish only third behind Sir Michael Stoute's Spanish Moon."I think he's getting a bit older and the winner is an improving horse as well as a year younger," said Bruce Raymond, owner Jaber Abdullah's racing manager."We expect the horse to be 100 per cent every day and of course they can't be. For me his sparkle wasn't there as it was in the Coronation Cup, and certainly not as it was last year."The horse looked fine, otherwise he wouldn't have run, but I was a little bit worried when Christophe had to niggle at him turning into the straight and he couldn't quite keep up with the winner."That is not like him at all and Christophe just said he was struggling to keep up with them and when he picked up, he didn't do it quick enough."It is likely to be the King George and the Arc now, there's not much else for him."