Descending from Lagardère lines as a son of Group-placed Calayana (Sinndar), Calandagan is from the family of Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner Clodovil.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREThe son of Gleneagles made his juvenile debut at Deauville
in August, finishing third to promising Zarak colt Metropolitan despite racing wide
around the track. He next start was a winning one, and an impressive one at
that, as he scored by 10 lengths at Chantilly.
Calandagan returned to action in March 2024 in the Listed Prix François Mathet at Saint-Cloud, collecting his first piece of blacktype in a close-fought battle with the winner Bright Picture, the pair of them stretching clear of the field.
Calandagan fully justified his trip across the Channel, routing his rivals for a six-length win in the Gr.2 King Edward VII Stakes, which provided France with their first victory of the 2024 Royal meeting.
“He is a fantastic horse–today he was perfect,” said jockey Stéphane Pasquier. “The pace was fast enough to come from behind and everything was easy. He can be a naughty boy sometimes and we have to ask him nicely, but today he wanted to do it all and when he is like this, he is a fantastic horse. I didn't do anything, I just asked him to do it by himself.”
Princess Zahra Aga Khan, who accepted the trophy on behalf of her father, added: “He has been improving over the last few months, but today he surprised all of us and has shown himself to be a very good horse. It is not one of our oldest families, but is a very consistent family. They tend to be a mile-and-a-half horses, but he has a turn of foot that is wonderful to see.”
Calandagan returned to England in August for his first try at top level, heading to York for the Gr.1 International Stakes. Coming wide around the final turn, Calandagan kept on well in his attempt to run down the favourite, Derby winner City Of Troy. In the end, he finished second by a length, the first two home breaking the track record set by Sea The Stars in 2009.
“It was a fantastic run. They jumped very fast and then they took a pull and that didn’t suit us, as we found ourselves quite far from the lead,” said trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.
“He tried my horse, the way he quickened in the straight, it was fantastic to watch. I shouted as I was thinking we were coming to get him (City Of Troy), but he kept pushing and he is a champion.
“I’m very proud of our horse. It is the first time he has run in a Group 1 and we didn’t have any Group 1 form before, so there were still a lot of question marks – but the way he accelerated in the straight was fantastic and he is a very good horse.”
Candala is bred in the purple, being by champion Frankel out of Group 2 winner and Group 1 runner-up Candarliya, herself a daughter of Dalakhani.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREA son of Siyouni out of Gr.1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Dolniya (Azamour), Dolayli is a member of the esteemed ‘D’ family of Dalakhani and Daylami.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREAs a three-year-old, Dolayli showed great consistency,
winning three races and placing twice in five starts. On his final outing that
year, he became the third Stakes performer from three runners out of Dolniya when
placing second in the Listed Prix Lyphard.
Dolayli missed his four-year-old season, but returned with style
at five, winning his first three starts in the first three months of 2024. They
included the Class 1 Prix Darshaan, where Dolayli finished five lengths ahead
of dual Group 1 winner Junko.
Elamaz is another member of the renowned Aga Khan ‘E’ family, his Group 3 winning dam Emiyna being a granddaughter of Ebaziya.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREThe son of Gleneagles made a promising sole start at two,
finishing second at Saint-Cloud despite being stuck on the rail. He was again
runner-up on his first start at three, before notching up four successive wins,
the latter of which was the Listed Prix Jacques de Bremond at Vichy in July 2024.
A daughter of Dubawi and multiple Group winner and Classic-placed Eziyra, Ezeliya hails from the great 'E' family of Ebadiyla, Edabiya, Estimate, etc.
Trained by Dermot Weld
FIND OUT MOREShe made two starts as a two-year-old, winning her second race at Cork despite dwelling at the start.
On her three-year-old debut, she registered a first black type success in the Gr.3 Salsabil Stakes, swooping late and entering the frame for The Oaks at Epsom.
“I thought she would run a big race and she did,” said trainer Dermot Weld said. “It was a very true-run Group race and they went a real good gallop for a mile-and-a-quarter. Chris [Hayes - jockey] took his time on her. He planned to sit a little bit closer, but the pace they were going he waited. I loved the way she attacked the hill and saw her race out well. Better ground will suit her better. It is a lovely family, a good, tough family and I think she will get a mile-and-a-half. She is a Group 1 filly and there's lots to look forward to. She is in both [the Oaks and Irish Oaks] and we will review it and see.”
Ezeliya duly lined up for the Oaks at Epsom. Positioned mid-pack by jockey Chris Hayes, the filly slipped comfortably into the lead at the entrance of the straight to win by three lengths. She became a first winner of the race for H.H. the Aga Khan, and the 99th individual Group 1 winner for His Highness and Princess Zahra Aga Khan.
Trainer Dermot Weld said after the race: 'She's a beautiful filly to train. She's not a big filly, but has a lot of quality and these races are all special.”
Hanalia is one of the latest Stakes winners to come from the ‘H’ family of the Aga Khan Studs, which has produced Group 1 winners Harzand, Big Rock, Hurricane Lane and Emily Upjohn.
Trained by Johnny Murtagh
FIND OUT MOREBy Sea The Stars (sire of the aforementioned Harzand and Emily Upjohn and broodmare sire of Big Rock), Hanalia made her racecourse debut as a three-year-old, placing fourth at Gowran Park. Two-and-a-half weeks later, she broke her maiden at The Curragh, and the following month scored her first piece of blacktype in the Listed Naas Oaks Trial.
Trainer Johnny Murtagh said: “She always showed us plenty, she was one of the ones we really liked and were looking forward to her this year. Her form has worked out with the second horse (from The Curragh) winning pretty well at Down Royal last week and we were coming here confident.
“She's not big but has a good turn of foot and it worked out very well today.”
By Gr.1 winning sprinter Blue Point out of Kerasona, a five-furlong Listed winning daughter of Oasis Dream, Keran boasts a pedigree designed for speed.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREHe made an early debut as a two-year-old in 2023, breaking
his maiden by an easy two and a half lengths in mid-April. On his next start, he
finished a close second, before being put away for the following season.
Keran made another successful seasonal debut in a Class 2 at
Cagnes in February 2024, extending his winning margin to four and a half lengths,
before landing his first bit of blacktype when second on heavy ground in the
Gr.3 Prix Djebel at Deauville.
By Lope De Vega, Rouhiya is the second foal out of Stakes performer Rondonia, with the family's origins tracing back to the lines of Marcel Boussac
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREA granddaughter of Prix de Diane winner Shemaka, Shamida traces back to Pale Ale, an important foundation mare for the Aga Khan Studs.
Trained by Dermot Weld
FIND OUT MOREAfter a break from the track, Shamida returned in July the
following year. She made an encouraging comeback run in the Gr.2 Curragh Cup,
before picking up the third Group race of her career in the Gr.3 Give Thanks Stakes,
which she won going away.
Afterwards Kris Weld, son of trainer Dermot, reported: “She
is a very brave an honest filly and a very good one. The distance was slightly
short for her but she showed a good turn of foot at the top of the straight.
She has plenty of entries in the autumn and she’ll be going back up to Group 1
level again.”
A son of dual Classic winner Harzand, Shamarkand is out of Group winner Shamkala, who was also placed fourth in the Gr.1 Prix de Diane.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREA tough and consistent daughter of Cracksman, Shembala hails from the same family as Derby winner Shahrastani.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREA son of the US-based stallion Blame, Sibayan’s dam Sirrin is a dual Listed winning daughter of Sea The Stars, descending from the family of champion Sinndar.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREDespite being a big, galloping colt, Sibayan showed precocity
as a two-year-old, winning twice and placing once in three outings.
He made a winning seasonal debut early the following season,
and after a respectable fifth place finish behind Calandagan in the Gr.3 Prix
Noialles in April, he landed his first Stakes success in the Listed Derby du
Midi not long after.
The family of Simada first entered the Aga Khan studbook with the purchase of the Marcel Boussac bloodstock in the 1970s, and has produced the likes of Champion Three-Year-Old Sinndar.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MORESimada, a daughter of the late Le Havre, was unplaced on her
only start at two in December 2023, but it didn’t take long to get to winning
ways. She became the first winner of 2024 for The Aga Khan Studs on 3rd
January, and followed up with another victory before the month was out.
Stepped up to Stakes company next time out, she then finished
second in the Listed Prix Rose de Mai at Saint-Cloud.
By Sea The Stars out of Group-placed Summaya, Sumiha is from the Boussac family of champion Sinndar.
Trained by Dermot Weld
FIND OUT MORESumiha raced just once as a three-year-old, but the run was
a winning one, where she beat the odds-on favourite to land a maiden at The
Curragh.
Returning the following spring, she was pitched straight
into Stakes company, and finished runner-up
in both the Listed Noblesse Stakes and the Listed Orby Stakes. On her next
start, she was upped to Group level, where she ran on well to win the Munster
Oaks at Cork.
Tarawa is a daughter of Shamardal, and one of three Stakes winners out of the Listed winning Dalakhani mare Tanoura, who hails from the François Dupré family of Sega Ville.
Trained by Dermot Weld
FIND OUT MOREA second place in the Gr.3 Meld Stakes followed, before
Tarawa went one better by winning the Gr.3 Snow Fairy Fillies Stakes at The
Curragh at the end of August. Fellow Aga Khan Studs homebred Hanalia finished
runner-up.
“It was a good performance by her, she’s been a model of
consistency,” said Weld. “I know she’s been placed more times in Group races,
but she has a lot of black type and having won a Stakes race at Leopardstown,
it was just lovely to go and win a Group race with her today.”
This precocious son of Wootton Bassett is out of Stakes performer Zaridiya, making him a member of the acclaimed ‘Z’ family of Zarkava and Zarak.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREZabiari made an impressive winning two-year-old debut in May
2023 at ParisLongchamp, and was subsequently sent straight to Stakes company at
Deauville. He placed a close second in both the Prix Roland de Chambure (to the
more experienced and subsequent Group winner Beauvatier) and the Critérium du
Fonds Européen de l'Elevage (a race won by subsequent Champion Three-Year-Old
Vadeni in 2021), before stepping up to a mile in the Gr.3 Prix de Chênes.
He won Group 3 contest in good style, defeating two other
Stakes horses and suggesting that he could be a Group 1 colt in the making.
Beautifully bred Zarir is a son of Frankel out of Zarshana, a Group winning half-sister to Zarkava by Sea The Stars.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREZarir won two of his five starts at three, and was also placed third in the Listed Prix Frédéric de Lagrange. He upped his game further at four, winning his first two races early in the season before pitching straight into Group 1 company in the Prix Ganay against much more experienced Group performers. In this he finished second by a head, finishing fast despite having been boxed in in the run-in. He had however confirmed his potential as a Group 1 horse.
A high-class daughter of Siyouni out of Gr.3 winner and Gr.1 placed Zarkamiya, grandaughter of the unbeaten Champion Zarkava.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard
FIND OUT MOREZARIGANA made a highly promising start with a four length-victory in the Prix de la Butte Blanche at Chantilly in July. She confirmed her potential on her second outing and first attempt at Stakes level with an impressive three length victory at ParisLongchamp.
Her trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said on this occastion: “I loved how she travelled on that [soft] ground and, when Mickael [Barzalona] switched her out, she did it all on her own. It was really nice to watch, she is a lovely looking filly with a great temperament and the only question is would she have another gear if asked for more. Of course, if she comes out of this race well, she will come back in the Marcel Boussac. She is all class and, hopefully, we will have a nice Classic prospect for next year.”
Her pedigree is steeped in quality, as she is the daughter of SIYOUNI, a Gr.1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère winner, and the granddaughter of the unbeaten champion ZARKAVA, who claimed the Gr.1 Prix Marcel Boussac and the Gr.1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Her dam, Zarkamiya, was a Gr.3 winner and Gr.1 placed during her racing career, and she is a sister to Zarak. She is back in foal to SIYOUNI this year.