Champion Sinndar (Ire) (Grand Lodge–Sinntara {Ire}, by Lashkari {GB}) has been pensioned at the age of 20, The Aga Khan Studs announced Thursday.
A homebred for His Highness The Aga Khan, Sinndar landed the 1999 G1 Aga Khan Studs National S. at The Curragh at second asking, but lost his unbeaten status with a head loss in the Listed Ballysax S. when resuming as a 3-year-old at Leopardstown in April of 2000. The John Oxx trainee would never taste defeat again in eight lifetime starts, rattling off five more victories in group company, including both the G1 Epsom and G1 Irish Derbys. Sinndar's swansong was a 1 1/2-length victory in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe under Johnny Murtagh and he retired with earnings of $2,571,884. The bay earned year-end honours as Europe's champion 3-year-old colt, as well as titles as the top French and Irish 3-year-old between 11 and 14 furlongs.
Beginning his stud career at The Aga Khan's Irish branch at Gilltown Stud, Sinndar eventually transferred to Haras de Bonneval, the French arm of The Aga Khan Studs through 2015. His final two years of stud duty were spent at Haras National du Lion d'Angers and he has been moved to Haras d'Ouilly to enjoy his retirement with fellow Aga Khan pensioner Dalakhani (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}). The bay was represented by a 300,000gns yearling during the third day of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 2 Wednesday.
As a sire, Sinndar's top runner from 21 black-type winners was the globetrotting English and French highweight Youmzain (Ire). That luminary won the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and G1 Preis Von Europa, but was best known as a three-time Arc runner-up between 2007-2009. Shareta (Ire) was a MG1SW, as was Shawanda (Ire), while Rosanara (Fr) won the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. Sinndar has also made his mark as a broodmare sire, with his daughters having produced Classic winners Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast) in the G1 French 1000 Guineas and G1 Irish Derby hero Trading Leather (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), among 13 black-type winners to date.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
