Tourzima

Family 13c

1939 f. Tourbillon - Djezima (Asterus)

At the height of its powers, Marcel Boussac’s powerful bloodstock empire was built upon a programme of inbreeding, often by reinforcing the presence of his key stallions Asterus, Pharis, Tourbillon and his son Djebel. Tourzima was one such product, being a Tourbillon daughter of the Asterus mare Djezima and inbred 2x2 to the full siblings Durban and Heldifann (by Durbar out of Banshee). Boussac later followed a similar pattern by sending Djezima to Djebel, to whom she produced the 1949 Eclipse Stakes winner Djeddah.

Tourzima was not in that league, winning once at two years for Boussac, but did become a broodmare of immense note, one whose influence spans the Thoroughbred today.

She was an important mare for Boussac, notably as the dam of Corejada, whose wins in the 1950 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Irish Oaks arrived in the same year that the owner won six European Classics. In turn, Corejada foaled the 1956 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane winner Apollonia. 

Boussac reigned supreme during this era but 20 years later the stock were in serious decline. It says a lot for the depth of the Tourzima line that it remained successful, even producing Boussac’s final Classic winner in 1978 Prix du Jockey Club winner Acamas.

By that stage, the stock were on the cusp of changing hands to the Aga Khan and Acamas’ family, which descended from Tourzima via her Group 3-placed daughter Gloriana, became an early reward for his investment as the source of Akarad, winner of the 1981 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and then champion Akiyda, who captured the 1982 Arc. The pair were half-siblings to Acamas, being out of the Prix de Malleret winner Licata.

It has remained a remarkable family in the years since then. 

The branch hailing from the 1953 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner Albanilla, a sister to Gloriana, provided the Aga Khan with his 1984 Prix du Jockey Club winner Darshaan, latterly a leading stallion at Gilltown Stud. This particular line continues to thrive today, notably as the source of Watership Down Stud’s multiple Group 1 winner Dar Re Mi (out of Darshaan’s Group 1-winning half-sister Darara) and her champion son Too Darn Hot, now a leading sire.

Albanilla is also the source of the Aga Khan’s famous ‘E’ family, the catalyst for which was Ebaziya; inbred to Albanilla as a daughter of Darshaan, the Listed-winning Ebaziya foaled four Group 1 winners ranging from the top two-year-old Edabiya to Irish Oaks heroine Ebadiyla to the Ascot Gold Cup winners Enzeli and Estimate. 

The Ebaziya family hit Classic heights yet again in 2024 as the source of the Aga Khan’s homebred Oaks heroine Ezeliya - 10 years on from a victory in the same race for another of the clan in Sheikh Hamdan’s champion Sea The Stars filly Taghrooda.

The Aga Khan’s 2000 Derby winner Sinndar, meanwhile, belongs to the branch hailing from Tourzima’s unplaced 1960-foaled daughter Bielka (she represented a shift in strategy for Boussac being by the top American runner Coaltown, who was imported from Kentucky to stand for the breeder in France as a means of adding new blood; Coaltown left little impact). Out of the Listed-winning Lashkari mare Sinntara, Sinndar’s championship career also encompassed wins in the Arc, Irish Derby and National Stakes. He later became a successful stallion for the Aga Khan Studs in Ireland and France.

Today, the Tourzima line continues to remain well represented within the stud, split between members of the Ebaziya/Albanilla family and the Bielka/Sinntara line.