Wednesday 5 October 2011
RAJSAMAN and MOURAYAN were both in the winners’ enclosure over the weekend for new connections, advertising once again the quality of Aga Khan Studs bloodstock offered for public or private sale. The victories came on the same weekend as three further graduates of the breeding operation met with success in Arqana’s Arc sale ring.
RAJSAMAN has gone from strength to strength since changing hands for €440,000at last year’s Arc sale, bought by Gérard Larrieu’s Chantilly Bloodstock on behalf of owner Saeed Nasser Al Romaithi. At Longchamp on Saturday the grey ran on late to secure the Gr 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein, his second win at this level over the past twelve months, in addition to a Group 3 prize and a pair of Group 1 thirds. The Freddy Head-trained son of Linamix is now likely to head to Asia in search of a top level prize and he has already shown his aptitude for international competition with a close fourth place in the Gr 1 Hong Kong Mile last December.
Further afield, MOURAYAN booked his place in the Melbourne Cup reckoning with a two-length win in the Listed Bart Cummings Stakes over 2500 metres at Flemington. The five-year-old son of Alhaarth was purchased privately by Lloyd and Nick Williams after a three-year-old season which saw him take third place in the Gr 1 Irish Derby, and since arriving in Australia has finished second in both the Gr 1 Metropolitan Handicap and Gr 1 Tancred Stakes. MOURAYAN’s half-brother Mourilyan took third place in the mythical Melbourne Cup in 2009.
The latest three Aga Khan Studs representatives offered for public sale were well-received at Arqana’s Arc sale at Saint-Cloud on Saturday. SHIMRAAN (Rainbow Quest) had finished third in the Gr 2 Prix Dollar earlier in the afternoon, and the winner of the 2010 Prix Eugène Adam Gr 2 was snapped up by agent Anthony Stroud for €310,000 with the Dubai International Carnival in mind. Sarafina’s half-brother Sandagiyr (Dr Fong) was also acquired by Stroud for Dubai, and this Listed winner was knocked down for €140,000. As for dual winner Sheniyan (Sadler’s Wells), he was bought for €90,000 by Australian agent Robert Roulston.
Updated on 05/10/2011.
