The Aga Khan Studs

High-class filly Zarigana, who was awarded this year's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in the stewards' room after suffering interference from the first past the post, Shes Perfect (Sioux Nation), has been retired from racing. Speaking from Hong Kong, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard told Sky Sports Racing, "She [Zarigana] is retired now. She has been a complicated filly and she has been very frustrating this season. I think she was so talented, but difficult and tricky. She could have won four Group 1s and only managed to win one in the stewards'...

Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion Stakes featured the winners of all the big 10-furlong prizes in 2025, but in the end it went to the horse who had still to win over the trip. While Calandagan (Gleneagles) was in danger of being pigeon-holed as a mile-and-a-half performer following his wins in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and King George this summer, The Aga Khan Studs homebred went through Ascot's test with ease under Mickael Barzalona. Swooping wide approaching the final furlong, the 15-8 second favourite powered to the line to beat...

Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Daryz is set to remain a fixture in Europe's premier middle-distance contests in 2026, after the Aga Khan Studs confirmed that the son of Sea The Stars will stay in training as a four-year-old. "We let the dust settle a bit and we decided on Sunday to enjoy the moment before we regrouped to think about it, which we did this morning," said Nemone Routh, racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs. "There was Francis-Henri Graffard [trainer], Princess Zahra [owner] and the...

Producing a stirring finale to Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, The Aga Khan Studs runner Daryz (Sea The Stars) wore down Ballydoyle's star filly Minnie Hauk (Frankel) to cap a stellar season for Francis-Henri Graffard. Having been given an unorthodox preparation for this monument which culminated in a close second to Croix Du Nord (Kitasan Black) in the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange, the 16-1 shot followed the pace set by the Japanese challenger with just the triple Oaks-winning 5-2 favourite to catch. Minnie Hauk looked to...

Daryz is said to be a likely runner in next month's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, having bounced back to form with a narrow defeat in Sunday's G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange at the same course. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, the son of Sea The Stars gained his fourth success from as many starts when winning June's G2 Prix Eugene Adam at Saint-Cloud, before forfeiting his unbeaten record with a no-show in the G1 Juddmonte International at York. With connections at a loss to explain that below-par...

Providing a welcome winner for The Aga Khan Studs on the Deauville card they sponsored in its entirety, Rayif (Sea The Moon) lit up the G3 Prix Francois Boutin with a display that shouted Classic potential. A narrow winner over six furlongs here last month, the half-brother to the Commonwealth Cup third Rayevka brushed aside Ballydoyle's 7-10 favourite Daytona (Wootton Bassett) with a furlong remaining and surged to the line for a 2 1/2-length success. The Coventry fourth Andab (Saxon Warrior) denied Daytona second by a head. "I thought he...

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. Saturday's Observations features a half-brother to a recent Group 1-placed filly. 3.32 Deauville, Debutantes, €45,700, 2yo, c/g, 6fT RAYIF (IRE) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) is an intriguing newcomer for The Aga Khan Studs and Francis-Henri Graffard stable, being a half-brother to the recent G1 Commonwealth Cup third Rayevka. Stouter-bred...

Anyone who doubted what a class act Calandagan (Gleneagles) is following some excusable defeats got an emphatic reply on Sunday in the feature G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Relishing the genuine pace and lively surface, the Aga Khan Studs representative brushed aside last year's Arc runner-up Aventure (Sea The Stars) in scintillating style to record a deserved first top-level win. "He's such a consistent horse who always runs his race and we were a bit upset when people started talking about cheekpieces and blinkers after his last run," racing manager Nemone Routh...

"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" is perhaps an apt way of describing the racing career of Calandagan thus far, even if he does have a Royal Ascot victory to show for his efforts, having been a runaway winner of last year's G2 King Edward VII Stakes. Since then, the son of Gleneagles has been campaigned exclusively at the top level and it's been a case of close but no cigar, with four consecutive runner-up finishes in the Juddmonte International, Champion Stakes, Dubai Sheema Classic and Coronation Cup. Beaten just...

Friday's Royal Ascot confirmations have been made and the clash between the Aga Khan Studs star Zarigana (Siyouni) and Shadwell's exciting Falakeyah (New Bay) in the G1 Coronation Stakes is the highlight of the card. The former, who was awarded the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches last month, will attempt to establish herself at the top of the fillies' pecking order in this mile category with fellow TDN Rising Star Falakeyah dangerously unexposed coming back in trip after her scintillating win in Newmarket's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes. Others of note...

At the end of a week to forget for Kieran Shoemark, the rider who had suffered agony at Newmarket eight days earlier had to endure a second bout as the ParisLongchamp stewards stripped his mount Shes Perfect of G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches glory on Sunday. Connections of the Charlie Fellowes-trained daughter of Sioux Nation were ebullient for a precious few minutes after the photo showed her a nose ahead of the 4-5 favourite Zarigana, but an objection from Mickael Barzalona soon raised the alarm. After deliberation, the officials...

The first foals for European champion three-year-old Vadeni (Fr) have been reported by the Aga Khan Studs, who also welcomed one of the first arrivals for Group 2-winning miler Erevann (Fr) recently when a bay filly out of the G1 Hong Kong Vase winner Daryakana (Fr) (Selkirk) was born on February 11. The foal is a half-sister to five black-type performers--including the G1 Prix Ganay winner and sire Dariyan (Fr)--and is described as "a beauty" by French studs manager Pierre Gasnier. He added, "[She's] a very attractive filly, with plenty...