"It’s my first Group 1 for the Aga Khan and it’s a Classic, with a filly I’ve always loved."
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
Twice a runner at two - placing on debut and then winning at Deauville in November - Rouhiya came back in April the following year to be third in the Prix du Louvre at ParisLongchamp.
After working well at home, Rouhiya was sent back to the same track the following month for a big step up in grade. The decision proved the right one, as the filly surged ahead 200 metres from the line to claim a fifth victory in the Gr.1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches in the colours of His Highness the Aga Khan.
Combined with the successes of Princesse Zahra Aga Khan and Prince Aly Khan, it represented an eighth success in this race for the Aga Khan family, equalling the record of Marcel Boussac and the Rothschild family.
Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard said after the race: “It took a long time to get her out this season because she's a real good-ground filly. But she came on a bundle for the run. I really hesitated before committing to this race but Princess Zahra [Aga Khan] said to me that there’s only one Poule d’Essai and that we should try our luck. It’s my first Group 1 for the Aga Khan and it’s a Classic, with a filly I’ve always loved."
Princess Zahra added: “Our breeding operation is currently enjoying great success with the likes of stallions Zarak and Siyouni. This success is not a coincidence, it’s a long-term effort. It’s a game of chess with nature as my father likes to say, but this is what we are trying to do. […] On a personal level, seeing this family reborn is wonderful. The strain has been quiet for several generations and seeing it come back is a very special feeling. It’s the reward for decades of work.”
