Friday 29 August 2014
Aga Khan Studs sires produce have been busy in recent days, with SINNDAR’s Eye In The Sky lifting the Norwegian Derby, a pair of Listed successes for AZAMOUR, and an excellent third place in the Gr. 1 Prix Morny for SIYOUNI’s Ervedya.
SINNDAR’s son Eye In The Sky cemented his position as one of Scandinavia’s leading three-year-olds thanks to his two-length victory in the Listed Norsk Derby on heavy turf at Ovrevoll on Sunday. The versatile colt, trained by Niels Petersen, was narrowly beaten into second on dirt in the Swedish equivalent, the Listed Svenkst Derby, in the beginning of July.
A dual winner as a juvenile in Scandinavia, Eye In The Sky participated in the Dubai Carnival this spring, notably taking fourth place in the Meydan Classic Trial. Bred by the Haras de la Perelle, he was purchased for 75,000 Euros at Arqana’s October Yearling Sale in 2012.
The late AZAMOUR was to the fore through a Listed double in England. Juvenile Mind Of Madness, second in the Gr. 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, opened his Stakes account when taking the Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes at York. Owned by Qatar Racing and trained by David Brown, Mind Of Madness could now be aimed for the Gr. 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster.
AZAMOUR was again on the scoresheet thanks to the progressive Glorious Protector, winner of the Listed August Stakes at Windsor. This four-year-old is a son of the Aga Khan-bred Hasaiyda, who was sold in foal to AZAMOUR at Goffs Breeding Stock Sale for €20,000 in 2009.
Glorious Protector was returning following a six-week break after his previous success at Newmarket, and is highly-regarded by his trainer Ed Walker. Glorious Protector is now likely to line up in the Gr. 3 Arc Trial at Newbury with connections hoping for an invitation to Hong Kong’s International Meeting in December.
SIYOUNI’s superb first season continued with the excellent third place of hitherto unbeaten Ervedya in the Gr.1 Prix Morny. The filly, already winner of the Gr. 3 Prix de Cabourg, was beaten a length and a half by her male counterparts The Wow Signal and Hootenanny in this six furlong event run on very soft ground. Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, the representative of the Aga Khan Studs is entered in both the Gr. 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère and Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc weekend at Longchamp.
Updated on 29/08/2014.
