Friday 12 September 2014
DALAKHANI’s daughter Silk Sari was the star of the show at Doncaster on Thursday thanks to her stunning performance in the Gr 2 Park Hill Stakes.
The four-year-old filly cruised through the field in the straight, taking the lead at the furlong pole and racing away to post a five length margin at the post.
This was the first attempt for Silk Sari over the extended trip of one mile, six and a half furlongs, and she relished the distance, giving a display of both stamina and speed. Trained by Luca Cumani, the progressive filly took third place in the Gr. 3 Pinnacle Stakes in May and had recently opened her Stakes account with a victory in the Listed Chalice Stakes over a mile and a half at Newbury.
Her delighted handler commented, « She has been brilliant all of the time. She has done nothing but improve as a good staying filly by DALAKHANI from a great family should. »
Cumani added that Silk Sari could now be aimed at the Gr. 2 Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp during Arc weekend before being retired to stud where she will meet Dubawi.
Jockey Andrea Atzeni was similarly impressed, « She is a lovely filly. She travelled beautifully in behind and they went a nice gallop, which suited her. She won going away. I think that she is just improving so much all of the time. »
The blue-blooded DALAKHANI filly Silk Sari is owned and bred by the Cumani family’s Fittocks Stud. She is the best offspring to date of her dam So Silk (Rainbow Quest), a half-sister to Gr. 1 Racing Post Trophy winner Ibn Khaldun. Silk Sari’s granddam is none other than the Luca Cumani-trained Filles Mile and Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Gossamer.
Dalkahani was back in the news at Doncaster just a day later, this time as broodmare sire to stylish Gr 2 May Hill Stakes winner Agnes Stewart. Stepping up to a mile for the first time, this still-inexperienced juvenile filly was always travelling easily and stayed on strongly to the line to score by a length and a quarter.
Now the winner of two of her three starts, Agnes Stewart has an irreproachable record as her only defeat is a second place in the Gr 3 Silver Flash Stakes. Trainer Edward Lynam outlined possibilities in either the Gr 1 Prix Marcel Boussac or Fillies Mile for his charge, who is considered as an Oaks hope for next season.
By Lawman, Agnes Stewart is the first offspring of DALAKHANI’s daughter Anice Stellato, a dual winner herself.
Gilltown Stud’s Arc winning sire DALAKHANI is currently fulfilling his second Southern Hemisphere season at Cornerstone Stud in Australia.
Updated on 12/09/2014.
