Tuesday 6 October 2009
The Aga Khan Studs’ Sinndar was one of the success stories of Arc weekend at Longchamp. ROSANARA, a homebred filly from the stallion’s first French-born crop, provided an all-important victory for her dual Derby and Arc winning sire in the Gr 1 Total Prix Marcel Boussac. This is the first top-level juvenile success for an offspring of Sinndar, who joined the Haras de Bonneval in 2006. The son of Grand Lodge was an unbeaten Gr 1 scorer himself as a juvenile, picking up the Aga Khan Studs National Stakes at the Curragh in September of his two-year-old season. Sinndar has already enjoyed Classic glory as a sire thanks to SHAWANDA who lifted the Irish Oaks and Prix Vermeille and ROSANARA could well add to these honours next year when her first objective will be the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.
Now six years old, YOUMZAIN has been a sterling flagbearer for his sire Sinndar for several seasons. He was successful himself as a juvenile and has progressed to be a leading middle-distance performer across the globe. Mick Channon’s charge has never finished outside the first five in his last 17 outings at the highest level and he has won a pair of Gr 1 races in France and Germany. However his best results have come at Longchamp where he notched up a third consecutive runner-up placing in Sunday’s edition of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. His trainer remarked, “He keeps coming up against great horses, just look at what he’s been beaten by in the last three Arcs (Dylan Tyhomas, Zarkava & Sea The Stars).” YOUMZAIN is still as tough and competitive as ever and Channon is keen to keep him in training for a fourth tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe next season.
Dalakhani’s triple Group 1 winning son Conduit was unable to follow in the footsteps of his sire to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe but his trainer Sir Michael Stoute was delighted with his fourth place and he is now likely to return to Santa Anita to defend his crown in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Dalakhani also took third place in the Gr 2 Qatar Prix de Royallieu with his daughter Tanoura, while his lightly-raced son Chock A Block picked up some black type with a win in the Listed Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket. His improving daughter Shemiyla won her first Listed at Chantilly two days after the Arc, becoming Dalakhani’s 12th individual Stakes winner this season. Dalakhani is the Leading Sire in Europe in 2009 (% Stakes winners to runners, to 21.9)
Updated on 06/10/2009
