Recent Group winner Almanzor and Listed winner Humphrey Bogart advertise the qualities of Aga Khan families, with both colts being sons of mares bred by H.H. the Aga Khan. Darkova and Hazarama’s progeny now boast Classic ambitions.

Almanzor, a son of Wootton Bassett and Darkova, cemented his Prix du Jockey Club credentials on Monday with a smooth success in the Gr.3 Prix de Guiche over nine furlongs at Chantilly. Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, the colt won three races including a Listed contest at two years old and took third place in the Gr.3 Prix de Fontainebleau earlier this season. Bred by the Haras d’Etreham, Almanzor is the first foal of Darkova (Maria’s Mon), who is out of Listed winner Darkara, a half-sister to the dam of top class miler Darjina. Darkova was sold by the Aga Khan Studs for €16,000 at the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in 2011.

The tough and progressive Humphrey Bogart has been supplemented into the Epsom Derby following his solid victory in the Listed Derby Trial Stakes last weekend. By Tagula, Humphrey Bogart is out of winning Kahyasi mare Hazarama who changed hands back in 1999 at Goffs. The dam of six winners in all, Hazarama has three black-type siblings, notably Group scorers Hazarista and Hazariya. This family has already shone this season thanks to Hazariya’s son Harzand (Sea The Stars), winner of the Gr.3 Ballysax Stakes and a Classic hope himself.

In a very different sphere, the Aga Khan Studs-bred Ebanour lifted the prestigious Virginia Gold Cup timber race in America. The nine-year-old represents one of the top Aga Khan families, as he is out of dual Gr.1 victrix Ebadiyla (Sadler’s Wells), who is sister to Gr.1 winners Edabiya, Enzeli and Estimate. By Indian Ridge, Ebanour is a half-brother to the Group placed trio of Eyshal, Ebanoran and Edelpour.