Monday 18 June 2018
Haras de Bonneval sire SIYOUNI celebrated a second Classic victory on Sunday at Chantilly, thanks to his ultra-tough daughter LAURENS. On the same card, the Aga Khan Studs bred and sold HUNAINA lifted her second Stakes contest when winning the Gr.3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil.
Already a Group 1 winner as a juvenile in the Fillies’ Mile, and at Longchamp recently in the Prix Saint-Alary, LAURENS had filled the runner-up spot in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on her seasonal debut in May. The powerful and tough filly appears to thrive on her racing. She was quickly away from her stall number 12 and raced up with the leaders under P.J. McDonald before taking the advantage a furlong and a half from home and fighting off bravely all the attacks in the Prix de Diane.
LAURENS was bred in France by Melchior-François Mathet and was purchased as a yearling by owner John Dance for £220,000 at Goffs UK. Her delighted trainer Karl Burke commented, “She is a fantastic horse. She has been a little underestimated as she never wins by far but she is so tough and has a lot of class. I am sure that she will stay a mile and a half.” LAURENS could now likely to contest the Irish Oaks or Yorkshire Oaks, and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is a possible autumn target.
LAURENS is the second Classic winner for SIYOUNI after Ervedya who won three Group 1 titles including the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and the Coronation Stakes. She is the first filly to complete the Prix Saint-Alary – Prix de Diane double since the Aga Khan Studs’ Sarafina (Refuse To Bend) in 2010.
LAURENS has ties with the Aga Khan Studs in many ways as her third dam Raysiya was bred by the Aga Khan. Her maternal family features Gr.1 Prix de l’Opéra winner Ridasiyna as well as Gr.3 Killavullan Stakes scorer and Gr.1 Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Rayeni. LAURENS’ breeder, Melchior-François Mathet, still retains her dam Recambe who has been covered by Haras de Bonneval-based Dariyan this season, as well as her full sister Murviel who is in foal to the son of Zarkava, Zarak.
Earlier in the afternoon at Chantilly, the Aga Khan Studs enjoyed success thanks to graduate HUNAINA (Tamayuz) who joined trainer Henri-François Devin and owner Trevor Stewart after being bought for €140,000 at Goffs November Mares Sale last year. The four-year-old filly, who hails from the family of dual Derby winner and young sire Harzand, won the Listed Snowdrop Stakes at Kempton in April and secured her first Group 3 success in the Prix Bertrand du Breuil. Her trainer said after the race: “She is an easy filly with fantastic acceleration as her strong point. I always had the idea of running her in the Gr.1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville, which seems perfect. She is on the rise.”
Updated on 18/06/2018.
