Tuesday 10 February 2009
No less than three of Timeform’s ten top-rated juvenile hurdlers were raised by the Aga Khan Studs. In the latest standings recent eight-length Ascot scorer ZAYNAR, who is unbeaten in two outings over timber, is judged to be the second best four-year-old hurdler. He has a rating of 143 with further progress still likely to be made. ZAYNAR is by Daylami and out of Kahyasi’s Prix de Diane winning daughter Zainta who has also produced French champion hurdler Zaiyad.
Another promising Aga Khan-bred son of Daylami is EBADIYAN, the impressive winner of a Gr 3 hurdle at Punchestown in January. The gelding is rated a progressive 131 by Timeform.
129-rated SIMARIAN finished third last time out in a Gr 2 contest at Cheltenham and the son of Kalanisi was the winner of a similar event at the same track back in November.
All three of these promising jumpers were sold at public auction during 2008, with ZAYNAR changing hands for 110,000 Euros at ARQANA, EBADIYAN for just 18,000 Euros at Goffs and SIMARIAN cost 22,000 Guineas at Doncaster.
Another Aga Khan graduate to succeed recently is Eyshal. The five-year-old was sold privately to Alastair Donald in 2007 and he lifted the Gr 3 Jebsen Centenary Vase at Sha Tin in Hong Kong last Sunday. The son of Green Desert and Irish Oaks winner Ebadiyla is a half-brother to Gr 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Ebaziyan and to the dam of formerly-mentioned EBADIYAN.
Three Aga Khan Studs-bred three-year-olds are set to go under the hammer at Goffs Mixed Sale on February 11th. Refuse to Bend filly Dalwada’s second dam is a half-sister to Darshaan, Darara (Gr 1 winning dam of Diaghilev) and Dalara (dam of Daliapour). Placed Barathea colt Shahrafi is out of Gr 3 winner Sharamana, a half-sister by Darshaan to champion Shergar. Zaynaba is from the family of Zarkava and she is the offspring of Traditionally and a winning Kahyasi mare who has produced two winners to date.
Updated on 10/02/2009
