Wednesday 9 March 2011
A daughter of Hussonet and DARALARA, who was Stakes placed in France and stems from the immediate family of Champion Darjina, sold for AUS $100,000 to owner/ breeder Paul Fudge (Waratah Thoroughbreds), while a daughter of Danzero and Lilanda, a half-sister to dual Gr1 winner and sire Linngari, made AUS $40,000 and will go into training with Victoria trainer Tony Vasil, for Lucky Racing, a Hong-Kong-based racing club that is active in Australia.
Following in their footsteps next month, are three further yearlings for sale on the first day of the Sydney Easter Sale (April 5th-7th). These include lot 103, a colt by Redoute’s Choice, out of VADSALINA, a half-sister to Gr1 winner Vadawina, from the family of Valixir and Val Royal. VADSALINA was a Listed winning two-year-old when trained in France by Alain de Royer Dupré, in 2007. Another colt, lot 83, the son of Flying Spur and Tazkara an unraced half-sister to stakes winners Tashelka and Tashkandi, will be sold on the first day of auction. Finally, there will be a unique opportunity to purchase a daughter of a half-sister to Zarkava. Indeed, this filly, lot 128, out of Hussonet and ZARAKIYSHA hails from the line of Petite Etoile, and further back, one of the foundation mares of the Aga Khan Studs, Mumtaz Mahal.
Given the youth of this partnership, all products going through the ring in 2011 are first foals of their dams, who were sent over from Ireland and France for their breeding careers back in 2008. Altogether, there are currently eight Aga Khan broodmares stationed in Scone at Arrowfield Stud.
Six further yearlings will be offered to the Australian market next year and seven of the eight mares are in foal this year.
Commenting on the partnership, Georges Rimaud states “When John Messara approached us, the timing was right: we had noted an increasing interest for our bloodlines on behalf of Australasian breeders, in Europe, particularly at the Arqana breeding stock sales. The idea of further fostering this interest by basing mares directly in Australia seemed in line with our philosophy. Like most breeding enterprises of some size, the Aga Khan Studs need to spread their wings out more towards the international, outside of our familiar European boundaries”.
John Messara also remarked “Like all breeding ventures, this is necessarily long-term. The Aga Khan Studs will however give the Australian industry access to very sound genes which if blended with our more precocious Australian lines, could throw up some exceptional athletes. It also introduces some beautifully developed classic lines, to enable Australian breeders to breed, perhaps, a more versatile animal”.
There are currently eight Aga Khan mares standing at Arrowfield Stud. They stem from the close family of Group 1 winners Zarkava, Darjina, Vadawina and Linngari as well as French Derby winner Darsi. Please contact us for further details on their offspring who will be offered at the sales.
Updated on 09/03/2011.
