On Friday, a day after trainer Francis-Henri Graffard arrived in Lexington, he got a good look at the H.H. Aga Khan’s Candala (FR) as she put in a spirited gallop over Keeneland’s main track.

“The trip over (from France) took a little bit out of her, and the boys took it easy on her the first few days here going to the (all-weather) Training Track,” Graffard said. “We took her to the main track this morning, and she was very fresh and the rider couldn’t pull her up.”

A Group 3 winner who has twice been Group 2-placed in France, Candala figures to be a major presence in Saturday’s $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana going 1⅛ miles on the turf.

The trip will serve as a cutback in distance for Candala, whose past three races have come at distances between 1¼ miles to 1½ miles.

“Her pedigree says she should stay a mile and a half, and I was comfortable to step her up in distance,” Graffard said of the daughter of Frankel. “It turned out to be a mistake. Too long. The 9 furlongs is perfect for her.”

Candala will be the second Keeneland starter for Graffard. In 2022, he saddled Malavath (IRE) to a fifth-place finish out of 14 against the boys in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) Presented by PDJF.