Wednesday 4 May 2011
Aga Khan Studs’ graduates RAJSAMAN and MIGHTY HIGH shone in Group contests over the weekend for new connections, while IGUGU who is out of an Aga Khan mare was crowned champion in South Africa.
RAJSAMAN (Linamix) was a Group and Listed scorer during his time with Alain de Royer Dupré, winning the Listed Criterium de Lyon as a juvenile and the Gr 3 Prix de Fontainebleau at three. He changed hands at last year’s Arqana Arc sale for 440,000 Euros and joined the stable of Freddy Head for whom he quickly picked up the Gr 3 Prix Perth before travelling to Sha Tin, where he finished a close fourth in the Gr 1 Hong Kong Mile in December. On his return from the Dubai Carnival and wearing blinkers for the first time, RAJSAMAN showed an impressive turn of foot to overcome favourite and Group 1 winner Byword in the Gr 2 Prix du Muguet on Sunday at Saint-Cloud. The grey colt, who is a full brother to the Listed winning dam of Group 1 filly Rosanara (Sinndar), will continue to race over a mile.
Formerly known as Berouni, the Aga Khan-bred son of Peintre Célèbre and Linamix mare Bernimixa has had his name changed to MIGHTY HIGH since a private sale to join John Moore in Hong Kong. In France, the colt won two races and finished second for Alain de Royer Dupré and he has proved to be a solid performer in Hong Kong. He won his first outing in the Far East in June 2010 and then opened his Group account in the Gr 3 Centenary Vase in February. MIGHTY HIGH has since taken a pair of third places at the highest level, in the Gr 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup and then the Gr 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Sunday against international opposition.
In South Africa, three-year-old filly IGUGU (Galileo) is hailed as the new sensation after a stunning victory in the extended mile and a half Gr 2 South African Oaks at Turffontein. This success followed those in the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas (1 mile) and Gr 1 SA Fillies’ Classic (1 mile 1 furlong) and therefore enabled Mike de Kock’s charge to become the first ever filly to carry off the Triple Tiara (fillies’ triple crown). In the summer, IGUGU is likely to line up in South Africa’s most prestigious race of the year, the Durban July Handicap, in which she will meet the colts and her elders. Comparisons with the great Zarkava have been made about IGUGU and these are closer to the mark than may be initially imagined as IGUGU and Zarkava share the same fifth dam Zahra. IGUGU’s dam Zarinia (Intikhab) was sold in 2004 for 30,000 Euros to de Burgh/Farrington and exported to Australia where she bred this superb filly.
Updated on 04/05/2011.
