Imad Al Sagar

Blue Diamond Stud encompasses approximately 40 mares split between our divisions in Newmarket and Stonereath Farm in Kentucky. In an exciting development, we are also breaking new ground this year by sending Grade I winner Abscond to Japan to visit Kitasan Black. The global operation is overseen by our CEO Ted Voute, with Andrew Rawlin at the helm of our mare division of Blue Diamond Stud and Cian Gahan the stud manager of Stonereath Farm. ABSCOND 9 m Blame - Solitary Life (Grand Slam) Visits KITASAN BLACK Winner of the...

John and Thady Gosden like to unveil one of their nicer Classic prospects at Kempton and Wednesday evening saw the pricey newcomer Asmeralda (Night Of Thunder) follow the trend. Always travelling easily for Oisin Murphy in division one of the seven-furlong fillies' novice on the card, Imad Al Sagar's €640,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 graduate moved to the front approaching two out with only the 5-6 market-leader Pierchic (Palace Pier) to beat. Always comfortably holding that half-sister to the Oaks runner-up Dance Sequence (Dubawi), the 11-10 second favourite held a...

Hollie Doyle's tenure as retained rider for Imad Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud has ended. Champion jockey Oisin Murphy will become the new first-call rider for the operation. The best runner ridden by Doyle in the Al Sagar silks was undoubtedly the G1 Prix de Diane-winning Nashwa (Frankel), who also landed top-flight scores in the Nassau Stakes and Falmouth Stakes with Doyle aboard. Said Al Sagar's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe, "We're keen to stress that we have had a fantastic relationship with Hollie throughout, and we hope that will continue...

Any week which included the return of Kyprios (Ire) should be considered a good week indeed. Yes, this time of the year is really all about exciting maiden winners and Classic trials, but any horse who can stick around in the Flat pack for as long as Kyprios has done must be cherished.  Four members of the final crop of his sire Galileo (Ire) have entries in the Derby and/or Irish Derby, but otherwise we will be relying on his older runners, including last year's St Leger one-two Illinois (Ire)...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a half-sister to Classic heroine Mangoustine. 5.40 Kempton, Mdn, £6,800, 2yo, 8f (AWT) SANDIRELLA (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) is the sixth foal out of Zotilla (Ire) (Zamindar), a half-sister to the high-class Flotilla (Fr) (Mizzen Mast) who cost just €75,000 at the 2019 Arqana December...

Providing the perfect follow-up for the reintroduction of his half-sister Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the feature G1 Sun Chariot Stakes, Imad Al Sagar's newcomer Nebras (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--Princess Loulou {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) lit up Newmarket's Saturday card by becoming his sire's 45th TDN Rising Star in the mile maiden. Purchased for 725,000gns at Tattersalls October Book 1, the John and Thady Gosden-trained chestnut was switched off in rear early by Hollie Doyle whose body language spoke volumes preparing for the downhill slide into the dip. Picking up with...

We may bemoan the fact that Flat horses come and go in what feels like the blink of an eye, but this season we are fortunate to be welcoming back not just the Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) but the four best fillies and mares in the world last year: Liberty Island (Jpn), Inspiral (GB), Emily Upjohn (GB) and Nashwa (GB). The last three named are all trained at John and Thady Gosden's Clarehaven Stables and both Emily Upjohn and Nashwa will make their return to the track next weekend...

As we approach the opening of the 2024 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Today we caught up with Imad Al Sagar of Blue Diamond Stud, who added a Kentucky base, Stonereath Farm, in August.    "The acquisition of Stonereath Farm in Kentucky last summer has allowed us great opportunity to diversify," Al Sagar said. "A handful of Blue Diamond mares already resided in Kentucky but with the addition of...

Multiple Group 1 winner Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will run in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day, owner Blue Diamond Stud announced via X (Twitter) on Wednesday evening. "Confirmed: Nashwa will run in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday," Imad Al Sagar's operation tweeted. Al Sagar's homebred won both the G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Nassau S. as a 3-year-old for John and Thady Gosden. She added her third Group 1 in the Falmouth S. this July, and has...

Imad Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud silks will be carried by his star filly Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) for another year, but the multiple Group 1 winner will skip the Breeders' Cup in favour of competing at QIPCO British Champions Day later this month, The Sun reported on Thursday. Both the one-mile G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. or the 1 1/4-mile G1 QIPCO Champion S. are under consideration for the 4-year-old at Ascot on Oct. 21. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the regular mount of Hollie Doyle was third...

Imad Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud is the new owner of Stonereath Farm in Kentucky in a purchase which "underlines the intention of the stud to compete on the world stage". The Kuwaiti-born owner-breeder of Group 1 winners Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Decorated Knight (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) has a burgeoning involvement in racing and breeding in North America, where his Blue Diamond Stud has been represented this season by the homebred Wonderful Justice (Justify), winner of the Black Gold S. at Fair Grounds. The 3-year-old colt is trained by...

Imad Al Sagar's dual Group 1-winning 'TDN Rising Star' Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Princess Loulou {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) wrested defeat from the jaws of victory in last month's G3 Hoppings S., but was a different proposition facing a stellar cast in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket and back on song to dish out a wide-margin beating in the one-mile distaffers' test. Persistent drizzle had fallen at Headquarters throughout the day, easing the official going to good, and enticed connections into rubber-stamping the participation of last week's G1 Pretty...