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Francis-Henri Graffard is looking forward to saddling a three-pronged attack on this Sunday’s Prix du Jockey Club, with Azimpour, Parachutiste and Curragh Camp all in line to take their chance.

Carrying the famous colours of Aga Khan Studs, Azimpour will head back to Chantilly after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the Listed Prix de Suresnes.

However,  Graffard is keen to stick to the original plan for the son of Dubawi, who finished runner-up in the Group 3 Prix la Force earlier in the year having made a winning debut at Longchamp last season.

"We were very pleased with his first start this year," said Graffard. "He's a horse who has a lot of character and he can be a bit of a player in the morning. But after his first start this year, we immediately had the idea to run him in the Prix de Suresnes.

"I must admit, I can't really explain why he didn't perform that day. I don't really have an explanation, but he came out of the race in a very good place.

"He's been magnificent since. We talked to connections and decided that we would keep with the initial idea that we had because he was our horse for the Prix du Jockey Club, so we will run in the race.

"I would have liked it a little bit softer, as he won on soft ground because he won at Longchamp in soft ground, but it's fine as it is. The track should be nice."

Alongside Azimpour, Graffard is looking forward to saddling Parachutiste in Sunday's contest.

A fellow son of Dubawi, Parachutiste brings an interesting profile into the French Classic, having got off the mark in maiden company on his seasonal reappearance at Saint-Cloud in April before following up in a conditions event at Longchamp later that month.

Graffard said: "He's a horse I received in training late summer last year. I was very happy to have him as I trained the mother.

"It took me a while to get him fit in my system, but I managed to run him as a two-year-old on the polytrack. He ran really well in third and I always knew he would be a nice three-year-old prospect, so I was delighted to take him to the race at two.

"He started his campaign this year by winning a maiden, where he beat a nice field at Saint-Cloud, showing a nice turn of foot.

"We then went for a conditions race, the same race the Prix du Jockey Club winner won last year, at Longchamp. The ground was on the soft side that day, but he still managed

to win nicely, so after that after talking to the connections, we decided there was only one Jockey Club.

"This horse has never stopped improving. He looks fantastic, I'm delighted with him and he's mentally very strong.

The Qatar Racing-owned three-year-old will be ridden by Oisin Murphy, who made the journey to Francis-Henri Graffard's base in Chantilly to partner him in a piece of work last Monday.

Graffard added: "Oisin Murphy will ride him because he's retained by Qatar Racing. Oisin came to gallop him last Monday to get a feeling of the horse. He's a horse than can be a little bit laidback so it was important for Oisin to get a feeling of him."

Graffard also provided an update on Curragh Camp, who will head to Chantilly on the back of a staying on third in the Prix de Guiche last month.

He said: "He was supposed to make his debut at Deauville in August but unfortunately, we had to miss that because of a little injury.

"That's why he started his season very early on the polytrack at Chantilly. He won his maiden very convincingly. He then found himself very far back in a Listed race and pulled very hard because there was no pace on, but he came home to finish a strong second. He was just undone by the circumstances that day.

"We then waited for the Prix de Guiche because I wanted to try him in a trial race for the Jockey Club. Again, the horse was a little bit too far back before finishing very nicely under hands and heels."

Whilst Graffard is clearly realistic that his son of Romanised will need to improve plenty to play a major role in what looks sure to be a competitive affair at Chantilly, with the ground expected to suit, the local trainer is hoping to see a step forward from his contender.

"He's come on a lot for this last race, so that's why we stick to the plan with a horse who will really like the fast ground and has a very nice turn of foot," he explained.

"If he can get closer to the pace, I think we can expect a good run from him and see where we stand against this sort of opposition."

With Christophe Soumillon booked to ride Detain for John and Thady Gosden, Stéphane Pasquier will take the ride