Kahyasi’s son Afsoun confirmed his status as one of the best hurdlers trained in Britain with his three and a half length win over Straw Bear in the Gr.2 Contenders Hurdle. The six-year-old was registering his fifth career success over timber and is now to be aimed at the Champion Hurdle, in which he finished third last March. Afsoun was sold privately by the Aga Khan Studs in 2005 after scoring twice on the flat.

Ashkazar is another private acquisition who looks to have plenty of potential over hurdles. When trained by Alain de Royer Dupré in 2007, the son of Ashkalani’s half-sister Asharna finished a short-neck second in the Listed Prix de l’Avre and fifth in the Gr.1 Grand Prix de Paris. He has taken well to jumping and has lifted two of his three juvenile hurdle contests since joining the stable of David Pipe. 

The four-year-old was not disgraced when fourth behind the talented Franchoek in a Grade 1 event at Chepstow in December. On that occasion Ashkazar finished one place behind his former stablemate Serabad, who is another classy recruit to the hurdling ranks in England. On his next start, Serabad finished second, again behind the Triumph Hurdle favourite Franchoek, in the Gr.2 Wragge & Co Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Serabad, who boasts a Timeform rating of 129, was a Listed winner for Jean-Claude Rouget in France.

 The consistent colt has never finished out of the first four in his 10-race career. Serabad is out of a half-sister to Sendawar and is the half-brother to Serampour, who is also a winner under both codes.