Monday 13 May 2024
Placed third in the Prix du Louvre on her seasonal return last month, ROUHIYA benefitted from a patient ride by Maxime Guyon to triumph in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches on Sunday. Showing great acceleration, the filly surged ahead of Kathmandu et Romantic Style 200 metres from the line to claim a fifth victory in this race for 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 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.”
By Lope De Vega, ROUHIYA is the second foal out of Listed placed RONDONIA (Raven’s Pass), who is a sister to Group 2 winner Raydara. The origins of this family date back to the lines of Marcel Boussac, and it has also produced the Group 1 winners Ridasiyna and Laurens. RONDONIA foaled a colt by SIYOUNI this season and visited SEA THE STARS.
In the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, it was ZARAK’s turn to shine thanks to the victory of his son Metropolitan. The undefeated winner of two races at two and fifth in the Gr.3 Prix de Fontainebleau on his first start at three, Metropolitan accelerated decisively at the entrance to the straight to give a first Classic success both to his sire and to his trainer Mario Baratti.
Bred by Stuart McPhee at Haras de Clairefontaine, Metropolitan is owned by Scuderia Solari and Peter Bradley, the latter of whom having previously enjoyed success with another ZARAK, La Parisienne, who was placed in both the Prix de Diane and the Prix Vermeille.
Metropolitan is ZARAK's second Group 1 winner in a fortnight, following on from Haya Zark's win in the Prix Ganay.
