Vadeni (Fr)

After a quarter century at the helm of the French division of the Aga Khan Studs, Georges Rimaud will step down from that role at the end of December, making this Deauville December Sale his last. Rimaud leaves the stud stronger than ever, with four homebred sons standing at the farm, including the best sire in France, Siyouni (Fr), the best young sire in France in Zarak (Fr), and two promising newcomers, Vadeni (Fr) and Erevann (Fr). We surprised Rimaud as he was having lunch in the stud's traditional marquee...

The two newcomers to the stallions ranks at Haras de Bonneval, Vadeni (Fr) and Erevann (Fr), have both had their first mares scanned in foal, the operation announced on Wednesday. Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and carrying the colours of the Aga Khan, Vadeni was among the leading three-year-olds in Europe in 2022 when his wins included the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly and G1 Eclipse S. at Sandown. He also filled the runner-up spot behind Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on...

Both multiple Group 1 winner Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) and Group 2 winner Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) will be on show at The Aga Khan Studs' Haras de Bonneval during the upcoming Arqana Breeding Stock Sale from Thursday, Dec. 7 to Monday, Dec. 11 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. A shuttle service will be available from Arqana to the stud running at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. To book your visit, please see the Aga Khan Studs team in Yard P at Arqana or, alternatively, contact Fanny...

Outbattled at Newmarket, The Aga Khan's Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) returns to The Curragh for what could prove ample compensation in Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas. Unable to provide Dermot Weld with that elusive 1000 Guineas victory, the G1 Moyglare S.-winning TDN Rising Star bids to give her trainer a sixth of these. "She was a bit tired after the race, but she travelled home on the ferry and came home well and then she has picked up nicely and we've been pleased with her," her trainer said. "It...

The Classic-placed Royal Scotsman (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) has been supplemented to the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday, and the field now stands at 12. Trained by Paul and Oliver Cole for Mrs. Fitri Hay, the G1 Dewhurst S. runner-up and Guineas third is joined by the Guineas second and fourth Hi Royal (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Galeron (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) respectively. A trio of colts line up from Aidan O'Brien in Age Of Kings (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road) and Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). Sunday's G1...

Sunday's G1 Prix Ganay was as strong as any in recent times and there was no fluke about the victory of Bertrand Milliere's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}--Inanga {GB}, by Oasis Dream {GB}), who provided trainer Jean-Pierre Gauvain and jockey Marie Velon with a once-in-a-lifetime moment at ParisLongchamp. Carrying a penalty for his G1 Prix Royal Oak success when an eye-catching second to Simca Mille (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) in the G2 Prix d'Harcourt here three weeks previously, the 4-1 shot was anchored in last early with the pace generous. Delivered with...

Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), the Aga Khan's 2022 G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up, is likely to renew his rivalry in an early-season rematch with Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the G1 Prix Ganay after connections confirmed that is his most likely target on Wednesday. In last year's G1 Irish Champion S., it was the Aidan O'Brien trainee Luxembourg who struck first by beating Jean-Claude Rouget's charge over soft ground at Leopardstown on Sept. 10. With even more give in the ground a month later, the Aga Khan colt...

First job in the Thoroughbred industry? Cheap labour on my parents' stud farm; breaking in horses with my brother Louis. Biggest influence on your career? Serving in the commando paratroopers for building my determination. On the horse front it was inspecting Derby sale horses with George Mernagh in Ireland and yearlings with Rogers Beasley in Kentucky. Favourite racehorse of all time, and why? Has to be Frankel, not only for his performances but for the great story that it brings to the sport. For Juddmonte's skills of breeding the best...

Shadwell homebred Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was named the Cartier Horse of the Year and Cartier Older Horse at the 32nd Cartier Racing Awards at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Wednesday evening. The first Shadwell colourbearer to earn the Horse of the Year accolade, the William Haggas trainee added another four Group 1 victories to his pair earned in 2021, posting wins in the Lockinge S., Queen Anne S., Sussex S., and International S. in succession. His only loss in an 11-start career was a fourth-place finish...

Dual Group 1 winner Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), who ran second in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, will remain in training at four and aim to go one better in the ParisLongchamp showpiece next October, owner/breeder The Aga Khan's Racing Manager Georges Rimaud revealed on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. A winner of the G3 Prix de Guiche in May, the bay claimed the G1 Prix du Jockey Club on June 5 and doubled up at the highest level in the Eclipse S. against his elders...

Carried out in driving rain and accompanying gloom, Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe went to Kirsten Rausing's Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who with her ever-whitening coat and mud-dappled white silks navigated what resembled a ploughed field like a trail of luminescence at ParisLongchamp. Taking the eye throughout as she made easy work of the swiftly-deteriorating conditions under Luke Morris, who had been in action on the all-weather at Wolverhampton the night before, the 10-3 favourite waited with all the learned patience of such a beautifully-nurtured 5-year-old for...

Saturday's G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown, a "Win And You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf in at Keeneland in November, turned out every bit as exhilarating as it had promised, with no hint of fluke or ill fortune and a cluster in contention approaching the furlong pole. That was before Ballydoyle's comeback kid Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) forged ahead late on to deny the TDN Rising Star Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in another stirring finish in which this race tends to specialise. We can now say with...