Lidari makes his mark in Australia on successful weekend for Aga Khan Studs. The weekend was a successful one at opposing sides of the globe for the Aga Khan Studs with the Group 2 success of Australian export Lidari and also a Group 3 win over hurdles in England for Brave Vic, out of homebred mare Baliya.

A three-time Listed winner in France, Lidari recorded the biggest success of his career at Flemington on Saturday as he went from pillar to post in the Gr.2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington. The five year-old was fulfilling the promise he showed when finishing third to subsequent Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente in the Gr.2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley last September before being sidelined briefly through injury. Trainer Peter Moody will now send his charge to Sydney for the championship meeting, with his next major target likely to be the Doncaster Mile.

The Aga Khan Studs-bred son of Acclamation and Listed victrix Laxlova (Linamix) travelled to Australia in 2012 after being bought for €90,000 by Hubie de Burgh on behalf of OTI Racing at Arqana’s Arc Sale. Still an entire, Lidari is a half-brother to Laristan, a Listed winner and placed by Sinndar.

The victory of Brave Vic in the Gr.3 EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown once again highlighted the talents of Aga Khan broodmares. This consistent six-year-old has never finished out of the first three in five racecourse appearances. The son of Old Vic is out of placed mare Baliya (Robellino), a half-sister to Group 3 winning jumper Balapour (Kahyasi), who is also dam of Group 3-placed hurdler Edmund Keane. Baliya was sold by the Aga Khan Studs at Goffs in 2002 for just €12,000 before changing hands once again four years later for €44,000.