In a year when Prince Karim Aga Khan celebrated half a century at the head of the family breeding and racing operation, the Aga Khan Studs cemented their position as leaders in the French industry with yet another title in the France Galop standings for 2010. The famous green and red silks have dominated the owners’ category in recent years, finishing first on five occasions in the last six years.

87 horses represented the Aga Khan Studs in 306 appearances in French races in 2010, recording a total of 73 victories and an impressive strike rate of 84% winners/horses and 24% winners/runners. They amassed earnings of €4,246,870, a figure which rose to €6,287,950 with the addition of owners’ premiums. This is the highest earning on record for a French stable in a racing year.

Prix de Diane heroine Sarafina was the highest earner with over €1 million to her name after a spectacular season which also featured success in the Gr.1 Prix Saint-Alary and third places in the Prix Vermeille and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The daughter of Refuse To Bend is set to remain in training with Alain de Royer Dupré in 2011 when she will be a force to be reckoned with in major middle-distance contests.

Just behind Sarafina in the Arc de Triomphe (4th) and in yearly earnings, Behkabad’s moment of glory came when lifting the Gr.1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp in July. The son of Cape Cross also picked up the Gr.3 Prix de Guiche and Gr.2 Prix Niel before ending the year with a third place in the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Turf. The colt will return to action in 2011 from the Pau stable of Jean-Claude Rouget.

Other noteworthy performers for HH the Aga Khan in 2010 were Rosanara (Sinndar) who was runner-up to her stablemate in the Gr.1 Prix de Diane, and Siyouni (Pivotal) who took second place in the Gr.1 Prix Jean Prat as well as fourth in the Gr.1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. This Gr.1 winning juvenile has now been retired to stud and will stand at the Haras de Bonneval for 2011.

The Aga Khan Studs topped the breeders’ table in France with total premiums of €854,822, and also finished fourth in the Irish owners’ standings with earnings of over half a million euros.