The Aga Khan Studs has one of Europe's leading Classic prospects for this season in the unbeaten Group 1 winner Tahiyra (Ire), whose sire Siyouni (Fr), unsurprisingly, has a stellar lists of mares booked to visit him in 2023.
These include Tahiyra's half-sister Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal), who was also trained by Dermot Weld and won three Group 1 races among her nine career victories, as well as finishing runner-up in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
An equally starry name features on the list as the brilliant, unbeaten Zarkava (Fr) (Zamindar) will also visit Siyouni and currently has a two-year-old colt by him named Zarouk (Fr), who is in training with Francis Graffard, along with the mare's three-year-old Frankel (GB) filly named Zarkala (Fr).
Zarkava's four-year-old daughter, Zarka (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), will also be covered by Siyouni for the first time, as will Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor), who retired at the end of last season with five wins to her name, including the G2 Prix Corrida and G2 Prix de Pomone.
While the exciting Classic winner and Arc runner-up Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) remains in training at four, his stakes-placed half-sister Vadsena (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) is another on the books for Siyouni, as well as Group 2 winners and Group 1 runners-up Candarliya (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Valia (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Group 3 winner Hamariyna (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Dariyza (Fr) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), a Listed-winning half-sister to Aga Khan Studs sire Dariyan (Fr) (Shamardal) are among those to be covered by France's leading sire.
At Gilltown Stud in Ireland, Sea The Stars (Ire) will also be receiving strong support from the home team. He enjoyed another fine season in 2022, when he was represented by the top-rated turf horse in the world, Baaeed (GB), as well as his full-brother and G1 Coronation Cup winner Hukum (GB), and the fellow Group 1 winners Emily Upjohn (GB) and Sea La Rosa (Ire).
The five members of the Aga Khan Studs broodmare band to be heading his way including Vaderana (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}), the dam of 2022 Cartier Champion Three-Year-Old, Vadeni. She will be joined by Zaykava (Fr), who is a Listed winner and the result of the aforementioned Siyouni and Zarkava mating.
Haparanda (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), a stakes winner out of a half-sister to Sea The Stars's dual Derby-winning son Harzand (Ire), is also on his list, along with Tasalka (Fr), a winning Lope De Vega (Ire) half-sister to the dam of Tarnawa and Tahiyra; and the recently retired Ebba (Fr) (Medaglia d'Oro), a winning half-sister to Ebaiyra.
The Aga Khan once famously described his sensational race mare Zarkava as “the greatest gift a breeder could have” and in her second career she has continued to give. Zarkava's Group 1-winning son Zarak (Fr) is now one of the most sought-after young stallions in Europe and, with his third crop set to race this year, he will be sent 15 of the Aga Khan's broodmare band this covering season.
The G1 Dubai Sheena Classic winner Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}) and her dam Daltama (Ire) (Indian Ridge {GB}) are among them, along with the Ebaiyra's Group 2-winning dam winners Ebiyza (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and G3 Athasi S. winner Emiyna (Maria's Mon). Also on the list is Siyouni's Galileo half-sister Sayana (Fr), and Erdana (Fr), a Sea The Stars half-sister to Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Included on the list of well-bred young Aga Khan mares being sent to Haras de Bonneval resident Dariyan (Fr) this season are Kerasia (Fr) (Zoustar {Aus}), a daughter of the stakes-winning Oasis Dream (GB) mare Kerasona (Fr), and Vedaska (Fr), who is by Siyouni out of the Listed Prix Isonomy winner Vedouma (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and from the family of Vadeni.
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