The recent passing of His Highness The Aga Khan has robbed the international racing industry of one of its most influential supporters.
For over six decades, his famous silks of green with red epaulettes graced the racetracks of France, Britain and the US with tremendous success, primarily by horses bred at his Irish and French studs.
At latest count, the Aga Khan has owned the winners of more than 160 Gr1 races, amongst which five English Derby winners and 27 French Classic winners.
Those he raced with success, which later became stallions of note include Zeddaan, Kalamoun, Darshaan, Blushing Groom, Sinndar, Siyouni and now Zarak, whilst the emphasis he placed on the importance of top fillies resulted in female families which have served him with distinction, their success stretching as far afield as South Africa.
Arguably the most successful South African-raced horse to emanate from one of its famed female lines is the phenomenal Australian-bred filly Igugu, whose dam, the unraced Zarinia, hails from the family of unbeaten champion Zarkava.
South Africa’s 2011 Horse Of The Year Igugu (Pic -Supplied)
Significantly, both Zarinia and Zarkava share the brilliant Petite Etoile as their fifth dam through her only surviving daughter, Zahra. Zarkava of course is the dam of abovementioned Zarak.
With the Aga Khan’s breeding and racing programme very much geared towards the classics, it can be argued that South Africa, where speed, rather than stamina is the hallmark of its racing programme, has failed to capitalise on the excellence of especially its female families.
Financial constraints aside, very few breeders can count amongst their broodmare bands these prized bloodlines, a rare example being Maine Chance’s broodmare Dynasty’s Blossom.
Winner of both the Gold Cup and Gold Vase, she boasts an excellent Aga Khan female line, that of French and European champion and influential sire Darshaan.
Conqueror of Sadler’s Wells and Rainbow Quest in the 1984 French Derby, his legacy continues through his many excellent daughters, one of which Varsfontein Stud’s noted foundation mare Alexandra Bi.
From a dozen foals, she produced seven stakes performers, which included four stakes winners. Her descendants include the American Gr1 winner Oleksandra, as well as local Gr1 winners Forest Indigo and Main Defender whilst this season, she added Gr1 Summer Cup hero Atticus Finch and Gr3 Fillies Mile victress World Of Alice.
Iconic blue hen Mystic Spring, who has had such a profound impact on the South African Stud Book, has as her grandam a daughter of Zeddaan.
Voted Broodmare of the Year in 2017, she counts champions Bela-Bela and ill-fated Rabiya amongst seven stakes winning foals, while her daughters and grandaughters have produced a steady stream of top performers, notably Gr1 winners All Is Secret, The Secret Is Out, Snow Dance, Snow Pilot, and most recently, Cape Town Met winner Eight On Eighteen.
Zeddaan’s first-crop son Kalamoun emulated his sire when he claimed the French 2000 Guineas and he too, became a successful sire, perpetuating the sire line through his son Kenmare and grandsons Highest Honor and Kendor.
Blushing Groom – more info (Pic – Supplied)
In South Africa, the blood of Kalamoun coursed through the veins of Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa, Gr1 Woolavington 2200 victress Zirconeum and her full brother, the (then) Gr1 Merchants winner Stellite.
Lest we forget, there is powerhouse stallion Blushing Groom. Purchased as a foal, he too, won the French 2000 Guineas but after the Aga Khan failed to syndicate the chestnut amongst French breeders, he ended up spending his entire stud career in the US, with immense success.
He gave us Jallad, the champion sire of 2001. Sadly, the handful of Jallad sons to enter stud cut no ice as sires, hence his legacy too, is through his daughters, who have produced the likes of Shea Shea, Solo Traveller, Martial Eagle, It’s My Turn, Russet Air, Liege and Redberry Lane, not to mention Lyrical Linda, whose son Lance has sired champion Quid Pro Quo.
Also worthy of mention is former Normandy Stud-based son Comic Blush, the sire of champions Basic Instinct and Spook Express.
Stallions currently doing service who carry Blushing Groom in their female lines include Ideal World, Twice Over, One World and Hawwaam.
This article barely scratches the surface as to the influence the Aga Khan’s racing and breeding programme has exerted on a global scale, suffice to say, it has produced more black type than many newspaper editors.
Mumtaz Mahal – grey f 1921 by The Tetrarch ex Lady Josephine (Pic – Aga Khan Studs)
