Aga Khan Studs

With Britain en fete in the midst of the Platinum Jubilee festivities, the Oaks and Derby fell slap-bang in the middle of a four-day bank holiday and, despite the absence of Her Majesty the Queen at Epsom, the meeting still offered much cause for celebration. Sir Michael Stoute is never one to blow his own horn, though he is often heard humming on Newmarket Heath while watching his horses work. And as one of British racing's senior trainers, on the royal roster to boot, he was a most fitting winning...

One hundred years on from the late Aga Khan III's initial foray into European racing, the internationally-renowned and respected operation were celebrating a momentous Classic victory as the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}--Vaderana {Fr}, by Monsun {Ger}) dominated Chantilly's G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club. Always travelling easily in the slipstream of the leaders from his favourable inside draw, the May 10 G3 Prix de Guiche winner pounced on the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) with 300 metres remaining and a furlong later...

When the gates open for the G1 Hong Kong Vase on Sunday, Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) will be bidding to round off her trainer Alain de Royer Dupré's 49-year career with a 94th Group 1 win. Now pause. And read that sentence again.  Forty-nine years. Ninety-three Group 1 victories. Almost two per season. And a mind-boggling total of 320 wins at group level.  Royer Dupré's retirement from the training ranks brings the curtain down on a whole chapter of French and international racing history. It is quite fitting that his final...

The level of trade during Saturday's second and final session of the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale was meant to take a step down following Friday's electric marquee session, but Baroda Stud's 3-year-old Galileo (Ire) filly Loyal (Ire) (lot 1406) ensured there was still a six-figure bidding battle, with the dust eventually settling in favour of Ballylinch Stud--who bred the filly and raced her in partnership with Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor--for €280,000, the highest price achieved on the second day of the Breeding Stock sale for 15 years. Loyal...

Just as the illustrious Pivotal (GB) was retiring from stud duties at the age of 28, Siyouni (Fr), who can certainly now be regarded as his most significant sire son, was reaching the peak of his powers with his first French championship. He finished last season by adding a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner to his burgeoning CV, and this year Siyouni is currently responsible for the joint-top-rated horse in the world in the dual French Classic and Eclipse S. winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr). At the age of...

Stephane Wattel trainee Who Knows (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) went postward for Sunday's G3 Circus Maximus Prix Francois Boutin at Deauville coming back off a fourth in Chantilly's July 18 G2 Prix Robert Papin and led her rivals a merry dance throughout to earn her black-type stripes at the second attempt. She had graduated at Chantilly in a June 25 six-furlong maiden, having opened up wuth a May 27 debut fourth at Lyon-Parilly, and was quickly into stride to seize an immediate advantage in this seven-furlong test. Shaken up in front...

Three-year-old gelding Wood Ranger (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) is bound for Qatar after selling to Hassan Abdul Malik for €64,000 to top the Goffs Online Summer Sale, which concluded on Tuesday. Wood Ranger (lot 19) was sold from Willie McCreery's Rathbride Stables, having won two of nine starts including a five furlong Class 4 handicap most recently at Naas on June 23. The Aga Khan Studs was responsible for six of the 18 offerings, and its Ebasari (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (lot 1) is set for a change of...

There were only four runners, but what Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse lacked in numbers it more than made up for in sheer buzz as the 3-year-old St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was in scintillating form in Sandown's prestige contest. Heavily-backed into even-money favouritism beforehand, Ballydoyle's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero tracked Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) throughout and when launched by Ryan Moore passing the two-furlong pole quickly subdued his elders en route to an emphatic 3 1/2-length...

As far as passages around Chantilly's circuit go in the 10 1/2-furlong G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) enjoyed one as perfect as is possible on Sunday as he toyed with his rivals in the 181st edition of the Classic. Hardly breaking sweat to become the fourth colt to complete the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains-Prix du Jockey Club double since 2005, Ballydoyle's 14-5 favourite was slotted behind the pace-setting Normandy Bridge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) from his ideal draw by Ioritz Mendizabal and...

The Aga Khan's Dalakhani (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), the Champion Three-Year-Old and Horse of the Year in 2003, died on Friday in retirement at Haras d'Ouilly at the age of 21.  Expertly trained by Alain de Royer Dupre, the half-brother to Daylami (Ire) (Doyoun {GB}) sailed through his three starts at two, breaking his maiden at Deauville in August before graduating swiftly to group company and wins in the G3 Prix des Chenes and G1 Criterium International. But it was his 3-year-old season which would set him apart, and in nine...

The Arc Promise, a new fundraising initiative based on the "Breeders' Cup Pledge, was launched by Au-Dela des Pistes ahead of Arc weeekend. After the results were tabulated, over €60,000 was raised by the connections of every runner that opted to donate a fraction of their earnings in the event of a win or place by their horse(s). The donations will go toward racehorses retired due to injury that need additional support before they can be retrained. Ecurie des Monceaux donated 30% of its breeders' premiums, which resulted in a...

Having won the G1 Prix Vermeille on a quick surface over ParisLongchamp's 12 furlongs last time Sept. 13, The Aga Khan's Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) had to deal with the other extreme and a drop back to 10 furlongs on Sunday but proved up to the task in the G1 Prix de l'Opera Longines. Held up towards the rear early by a confident Christophe Soumillon, the 3-1 shot was brought with her customary withering run down the outer to deny Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) in the final strides...