Tuesday 30 May 2023
SIYOUNI achieved a rare feat over the weekend by supplying the winners of both the Irish 2000 Guineas and the Irish 1000 Guineas.
On Saturday, Paddington stormed clear to win by two lengths for the Coolmore/White Birch Farm/Westerberg partnership. The colt, bred by Dayton Investments and sold as a yearling at the Arqana October Yearling Sale, is now unbeaten in three starts this season and could head next to the St James’s Palace Stakes.
“He's a fine, big horse and is maturing very well. He's very good-looking,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien. “He was a little bit slow away, but Ryan [Moore] got his position very quickly on him and he didn't light him up to do it. He's a very exciting horse. The St James's Palace looks like the natural progression for him, because he doesn't look short of speed even though he will get further in time.”
On Sunday, it was the turn of Aga Khan homebred filly Tahiyra. The Group 1 winning juvenile, a close second in the English 1000 Guineas last time out, went clear of the field to win impressively by a length and a half. She will now be aimed at the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
It was a first win in the race for H.H. the Aga Khan, and Tahiyra was his 35th individual European Classic winner. Princess Zahra Aga Khan, in attendance at The Curragh, said after the race: “She was very brave and she kept at it and won beautifully. Looking at what she did today, and Paddington yesterday, I think we have a good set of Guineas there. To have a homebred like this is lovely to see.”
Pat Downes, manager of the Aga Khan's studs in Ireland, added: “These are the kind of results that a stallion needs to achieve to be put in the elite bracket worldwide. They are two very big wins for the horse this weekend and he's just a very good stallion, we knew that already, but they have to keep on producing these big results to maintain their elite bracket status. Thankfully, this has been a great weekend for SIYOUNI.”
SIYOUNI has now sired eight Classic winners in total, providing at least one every year for the past six seasons.
