Monday 1 May 2017
The first of May bank holiday proved to be successful for the Aga Khan Studs, with SEA THE STARS’ son CLOTH OF STARS lifting the first Group 1 Group 1 of the European season from ZARAK, and REHANA advertising her Classic credentials in Ireland.
One year after the victory of Dariyan, now standing at the Haras de Bonneval, the Prix Ganay at Saint-Cloud provided Gilltown Stud sire SEA THE STARS with his sixth individual winner at the highest level, thanks to CLOTH OF STARS. The four-year-old son of Kingmambo mare Strawberry Fledge was winning his third Group contest of the season, after taking the Gr. 3 Prix Exbury and Gr. 2 Prix d’Harcourt during the spring, and the sixth Stakes victory of his career. Goldolphin’s French spokesperson Lisa-Jane Graffard indicated that the André Fabre-trained colt will be a force to be reckoned with over ten furlongs to a mile and a half this season. He currently holds entries in both the Coronation Cup and Prince of Wales’s Stakes.
CLOTH OF STARS stayed on to the line to deny a fast-finishing ZARAK, as the son of Dubawi and champion Zarkava demonstrated that he deserves a win in the Group 1 category. Runner-up in the Prix du Jockey Club last year and winner of the Gr. 3 Dubai Millennium Stakes at Meydan in February, Alain de Royer Dupré’s charge is a top-class performer and he lost nothing in defeat at Saint-Cloud.
In Ireland, REHANA stamped her Classic ticket with a comfortable success after making all the running against her elders in the Gr. 3 Athasi Stakes at Naas. The daughter of Dark Angel and Rayka (Selkirk), half-sister to Irish 2000 Guineas second Rayeni, was making her second appearance of the year after taking third in the Gr. 3 Irish 1000 Guineas Trial on her seasonal debut. The Aga Khan Studs representative stayed on strongly on the good to firm surface and will now be aimed towards the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh on 28th May.
Updated on 02/05/2017.
