Siyouni: From Syndication To Stardom

Just as the illustrious Pivotal (GB) was retiring from stud duties at the age of 28, Siyouni (Fr), who can certainly now be regarded as his most significant sire son, was reaching the peak of his powers with his first French championship. He finished last season by adding a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner to his burgeoning CV, and this year Siyouni is currently responsible for the joint-top-rated horse in the world in the dual French Classic and Eclipse S. winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr).

At the age of 14, Siyouni is riding the crest of a wave. For at least the last four seasons he has been the most expensive stallion in France by a wide margin, his 2021 fee rising to an all-time high of €140,000. And his popularity at the sales is undiminished–15 of his yearlings passed through the recent Arqana August Sale for an average price in excess of €300,000. Bahrain's KHK Racing bought the most expensive of these at €1.5 million and Coolmore, doubtless emboldened by their previous success with the stallion, gave €650,000 for a filly from Ecurie des Monceaux, birthplace of their young Arc-winning stallion Sottsass (Fr).

How much of a permanent mark Siyouni will make on the breed remains to be seen, but already he is the sire of not just an Arc winner but five individual Classic winners with 17 Group 1 victories to their credit, as well as the GI E P Taylor S. heroine Etoile (Fr). Things, however, could have been so different, with the horse's story reduced perhaps to a footnote in Thoroughbred history as the winner of the 2009 G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

“It's not to our credit, but Siyouni wasn't very far from getting castrated and sent to Hong Kong,” says Georges Rimaud, manager of the Aga Khan Studs in France.

“He was certainly a very good racehorse, and at two in particular, but then at three, he unfortunately did not manage to win a race. He placed in several races, and was second in the Prix Jean Prat. But we were left wondering what we were going to do with him. Was it enough to stand him? Was he the type that people be looking for?”

It turns out that Siyouni was indeed the type that breeders were happy to take a chance on, though his appeal was broadened, and the risk shared, by the Aga Khan Studs taking the decision to syndicate him–a move not made by the operation since Darshaan (GB) retired to stud in 1985. A good omen, if one were needed.

“We syndicated him to bring in a bit of money for one thing, and then also I always feel that if you get more participants around something, whether it's a horse or something else, you dilute the risk a little bit. If you are successful you are going to probably dilute the revenue as well, but I thought it was worth the shot with that horse. So we agreed–all our team and His Highness–agreed to syndicate him at a small price of €28,000, and he would stand at €7,000 for the standard syndication.”

The gamble worked, at least in the initial sense of encouraging breeders to use the stallion. “He very quickly covered 150 mares or more,” Rimaud recalls. “He was always quite busy. We ended up with quite a few foals that looked very nice. And you know when you have good foals out there because people come back. We had the same demand the following year, and the following year.”

After that, it was up to Siyouni himself, or indeed his runners. With 14 first-crop winners in 2014, he was France's leading first-season sire and leading sire of 2-year-olds. That group included the G3 Prix de Cabourg winner Ervedya (Fr), who would reward the Aga Khan and Siyouni's former trainer Alain de Royer Dupre by becoming her sire's first Classic winner in the following year's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches before travelling to Ascot to win the G1 Coronation S.

“Every beginner was winning,” says Rimaud. “So we felt pretty good about it. And then we produced our first Group 1 winner by him, and then you don't have anything else to do. I mean, it all happens. The rest is, as some people say, it's history. But I am not sure the history is finished: it's ongoing. He has produced probably around 150 foals every year.”

There is no hiding the pleasure that Siyouni's success has brought the operation as Rimaud recounts his career to date. It is of course not the first time the Aga Khan Studs has retired a homebred to stand at one of its farms–far from it–but perhaps the somewhat unexpected nature of the steep upward rise, from a relatively lowly stud fee, echoing that of his own celebrated sire in England, makes it all the more satisfying.

“We're thrilled with it,” he says. “This is the horse who was born and raised on our farm. We bred the mare. Everything was homemade. He was born at Saint-Crespin and he was broken in at our breaking farm. From there, he was sent to Alain de Royer Dupre, who found him quite precocious. You know, this is not a trademark for us, to have precocious horses.”

Rimaud continues, “You don't expect to go from sort of low grade to elite. That was the way it went, starting at €7,000. I don't want to insult anyone who used him in the early years, but at €7,000, he improved the quality of the foals of those mares considerably. As we say in French, he's an améliorateur [enhancer], and he really does that.”

The motto of the Aga Khan Studs has long been 'success breeds success' and in this instance it has been doubly true for the breeders who not only sent their mares but also took a share in the young stallion at the outset. Rimaud is quick to acknowledge those who have helped to establish Siyouni at Haras de Bonneval.

He says, “The thing was that the Aga Khan Studs had not syndicated horses for a long time, so this was almost a new thing. People adhered to that syndication, and were very pleased to come in and do something with us.

“They've invested, they believed in the horse, they put their mares in. And some of them had to leave because of the pressure of selling their shares at higher prices and then not necessarily being able to go back to the horse, which is also a frustrating situation where you have people that have helped Siyouni make it with lower stud fees.”

In May it was announced that Siyouni, who is out of the Danehill mare Sichilla (Ire), whose offspring also include Group/Grade 1 winner Siyouma (Ire) (Medicean {GB}), would be available to cover to Southern Hemisphere time at a fee of €100,000. He has had scant representation in Australia thus far, but among his six runners there are four black-type performers, including the listed-winning juvenile See You In Spring (Aus). Her Darley-bred dam Spring Colours (GB) (Shamardal), who is out of a half-sister to the champion miler Goldikova (Ire), was exported to Australia in 2017.

“We were tempted to shuttle him several times,” Rimaud says. “When he was just about to make it and we felt that maybe it was the time to take that opportunity, we had some offers in Western Australia and different places, from Anthony Mithen. When we did the deal with the horse originally it wasn't even considered, but then we had real interest when he started to do well.”

Ultimately it was decided not to take the risk, and Siyouni has hardly been short of suitors in France in the intervening years. Indeed, he can be credited with playing a key role in the resurgence of the French bloodstock scene over the last decade, along with his fellow Normandy-based sires Le Havre (Ire) and Kendargent (Fr), who retired to stud the year before him and are both now recognised as internationally important stallions. At the time of Siyouni's retirement, the most expensive stallion in the country was Elusive City at €15,000.

“His success has undoubtedly helped us and it has helped the stallion stations around France,” says Rimaud. “It gave them confidence that it was possible to have a stallion of that calibre and sell the nominations and make it work. They have done a good job with Le Havre as well, and the stallion operations in France have all benefited from this. I don't think it's solely due to Siyouni, but it certainly reinforced the view that it is possible. France has actually become a sort of a platform where international investors can come in easily.”

The generally accepted rule is that only one in ten stallions retiring to stud really makes it. A grand racing career and the bluest of bloodlines offer no guaranteed path to success. Siyouni of course did not emanate from humble origins, but equally he was not initially afforded the calibre of mares of some of the other stallions he now tussles with in the tables.

Rimaud himself gives a nod to the hand fate plays in such developments. He says, “It's incredible really, that's exactly what it is. And you can't predict these things. It just happens.”

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Nothing Separating Palace Pier, Poetic Flare Atop Cartier Horse Of The Year Standings

Outstanding milers Palace Pier and Poetic Flare, who fought out a thrilling finish to the G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois, jointly head the Cartier Horse Of The Year standings following the latest points update for the Cartier Racing Awards.

The Cartier Racing Awards were established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing. There are eight equine awards – the Cartier Horse Of The Year, the Cartier Older Horse, the Cartier Sprinter, the Cartier Stayer, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly, the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt and the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly.

The 31st annual Cartier Racing Awards will be awarded in November. Cartier continues its ongoing support with the presentation of the Cartier Racing Awards.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Palace Pier and Jim Bolger's homebred Poetic Flare have each accrued 144 points following a thrilling race at Deauville, France, on Aug. 15.

Palace Pier came out on top with a neck verdict over Poetic Flare in a battle between the two leading milers of their generations, with the winner securing a fifth G1 success over the distance.

Other leading Cartier Horse Of The Year contenders include 3-year-olds Mother Earth (120), Snowfall (120) and St Mark's Basilica (120), who are all trained by Aidan O'Brien for Coolmore partnerships.

QIPCO 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth was a game winner of the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville on Aug. 3, whilst Snowfall continued her unbeaten season with a smooth success in the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York on Aug. 19.

St Mark's Basilica was forced to miss his intended engagement in the G1 Juddmonte International at York on Aug. 18 and will now head for the G1 Longines Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 11.

Mishriff (108) captured his first domestic G1 prize when running out a stunning six-length winner of the Juddmonte International, where his rivals included Love (72) and Alcohol Free (96). Victory on the Knavesmire for the John and Thady Gosden-trained superstar follows success this year in the Saudi Cup and the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic.

Also in the Cartier Horse Of The Year running is Godolphin's Adayar (100), who became the first horse since his grandsire Galileo in 2001 to complete the Derby-King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes double when capturing the G1 midsummer highlight at Ascot. His stable companion Hurricane Lane (92), a dual G1 winner this term in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris, has 92 points.

Palace Pier also leads the way in the Cartier Older Horse standings ahead of Mishriff. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Broome has 80 points, along with Jerome Reynier's Skalleti.

Poetic Flare (144) is a clear leader in the Cartier Three-Year-Old category ahead of St Mark's Basilica (112), with Godolphin duo Adayar (100) and Hurricane Lane (92) challenging for the award.

Aidan O'Brien holds a strong hand in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly category with four of the top five contenders. Mother Earth and Snowfall are tied on 120 points, ahead of the Andrew Balding-trained Alcohol Free on 96 points. O'Brien is also responsible for Joan Of Arc (64), who finished third in the G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, and Santa Barbara (64), an easy winner of two G1 events in America this summer.

The Cartier Sprinter Award is wide-open with Archie Watson's ultra-consistent Dragon Symbol leading the way on 56 points. The three-year-old chased home Suesa (32) in the G2 King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood, before finishing third in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Aug. 20 behind the Tim Easterby-trained Winter Power (32).

Starman (48) defeated Dragon Symbol and Oxted (48) in the G1 Darley July Cup and finished an admirable third in the G1 Larc Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Aug. 8. Campanelle, Dream Of Dreams and Gustavus Weston all have 32 points.

Subjectivist (60) remains the leader in the Cartier Stayer division following his success in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot for Mark Johnston and owner Dr Jim Walker, although the 4-year-old will sadly miss the rest of the season due to a setback. Cedric Rossi's Skazino (48) recorded his third win of the campaign in the G2 Darley Prix Kergorlay at Deauville on Aug. 22.

G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup hero Trueshan and Spanish Mission, a narrow second to Stradivarius (24) in the G2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup on Aug. 20 at York, both have 36 points.

Points are also announced for the first time this year in the 2-year-old categories. The Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt division is currently headed by the Richard Fahey-trained Perfect Power (48), who followed up success in the G2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot with a smart victory in the G1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville on Aug. 22, with Alan King's G2 Unibet Richmond Stakes winner Asymmetric (32) in third.

The Al Shaqab Racing-owned Ebro River (32) provided his sire Galileo Gold with a first G1 winner in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Aug. 8, a contest in which Go Bears Go (32) was third. Lusail (32) has won his last three starts for Richard Hannon, culminating in G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes at York on Aug. 20.

The Andrew Balding-trained Sandrine leads the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly standings, having won the G3 Albany Stakes and G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes. Kirsten Rausing's homebred was second to Zain Claudette (24) in the G2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York on Aug. 19.

Agartha (24) has proven one of the success stories of the season for Joseph O'Brien. The daughter of Caravaggio broke her maiden tag in the G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown, before going on to land the G2 Debutante Stakes at the Curragh on Aug. 21.

Gavin Cromwell's Queen Mary Stakes heroine Quick Suzy (20) and Christophe Ferland's Accakaba (16), who remained unbeaten in the G2 Prix du Calvados at Deauville on Aug. 21, are others in contention for the award at this stage.

The Cartier Racing Awards are delivered through a tried and tested combination of points earned by horses in Pattern races (30%), combined at the end of season with the opinions of a panel of racing journalists/handicappers (35%) and votes from readers of Racing Post and The Daily Telegraph (35%).

The participation of the public plays a crucial role in determining the winners of each year's Cartier Racing Awards and gives horseracing fans the chance to put forward their favorite horses in a meaningful way.

In addition to the equine awards, the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit goes to the person or persons who, in the opinion of the special 16-strong Cartier Jury, has/have done the most for European racing and/or breeding either over their lifetime or within the past 12 months.

The 10 most recent recipients have been John Gosden, Pat Smullen, Richard Hannon, Barry Hills, Team Frankel, Jim Bolger, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Jack Berry and Aidan O'Brien.

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Knicks Go Moves Up To Fourth In LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings

Adayar [127], who bested his elders in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (G1), has joined St Mark's Basilica [127] at the top of the ratings in the sixth edition of the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2021.

LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings

Leading Horses

click here for complete rankings

Rank Horse Rating Trained
1 ADAYAR (IRE) 127 GB
1 ST MARK'S BASILICA (FR) 127 IRE
3 PALACE PIER (GB) 125 GB
4 KNICKS GO (USA) 124 USA
4 MISHRIFF (IRE) 124 GB
4 NATURE STRIP (AUS) 124 AUS
7 DOMESTIC SPENDING (GB) 122 USA
7 MYSTIC GUIDE (USA) 122 USA
7 POETIC FLARE (IRE) 122 IRE
7 SUBJECTIVIST (GB) 122 GB

Making his first start since taking the Cazoo Derby (G1), Adayar defeated MISHRIFF [124] by 1 ¾ lengths to win the King George. As a result, Adayar improved his rating to 127 from 121 to take his place at the top alongside St Mark's Basilica, who had defeated Addeybb [121] and Mishriff in the Coral-Eclipse (G1) at the beginning of July to receive his rating.

Mishriff also improved his rating in the King George, which has gone up to 124 from 122. He now sits in the co-fourth position along with Knicks Go [124], who earned his rating after winning the Whitney Stakes (G1) by 4 ½ lengths. They share co-fourth with Australian sprinting star Nature Strip [124].

Meanwhile, Hurricane Lane [121] followed his victory in Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1) with a six-length romp in the Grand Prix de Paris (G1) to raise his rating to 121 from 120.

Additionally, several horses have joined the rankings at a rating of 120. Baaeed [120] earned his rating with a dominant 6 ½ length score in the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (G3); Starman [120] is ranked following his victory in the Darley July Cup Stakes (G1) by 1 ¼ lengths; and Suesa [120] took the King George Qatar Stakes (G2) by three lengths to earn her spot.

The LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings are compiled by the LONGINES World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee and published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).

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Addeybb On Course To Defend His Title In QIPCO Champion Stakes

Last year's emphatic QIPCO Champion Stakes winner Addeybb is firmly on course to defend his title in the £1.2 million (about US$1.42 million) contest, according to his trainer William Haggas.

Addeybb finished second in the race in 2019 before going one better last year, providing jockey Tom Marquand with the biggest victory of his career so far. Having since won a third Australian Group 1, taking his career earnings to more than £3.5m (over US$4m), he has now given Marquand four of his six Group 1 wins.

Since returning from Australia his campaign has been geared towards QIPCO British Champions Day, and Haggas, who has also entered rising star Baaeed, as well as Al Aasy, Alenquer and Mohaafeth, is understandably looking forward to it.

He said: “It was great to win the Champion Stakes last year, fantastic. Addeybb was really on his game that day too. If we can get him like that again that would be great.

“Right now he is in a field, but he will have a run before the Champion Stakes. He was a little bit rusty in the Eclipse and the ground wasn't really slow enough for him, but I thought he ran well and he kept going up the hill as usual. I am sure we will meet St Mark's Basilica again at Ascot. It's called the Champion Stakes for a reason. It's where the good ones go.”

Love has already made two visits to Ascot this year and could make a third to run in the QIPCO Champion Stakes. Last year's QIPCO 1000 Guineas and Investec Oaks winner landed the Prince of Wales's Stakes first time out this season, but suffered her first defeat for two years when third behind Derby winner Adayar in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes, for which she started favourite.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien said: “The King George was a little bit of a funny race. Our other horse Broome got left five lengths and he still ended up being able to make the running easily. Ryan (Moore) had to wait to make his run a lot later than he would have preferred and in the end she probably had no race at all.

“Where she goes next I am not sure but we will give her a little bit of time before we decide that. She seems to be in good form.”

Love is one of a host of O'Brien entries for this race, which also include the Coral-Eclipse Stakes winner St Mark's Basilica, the winner of two French Classics this year, plus the outstanding dual Oaks winner Snowfall and the likes of Bolshoi Ballet and Santa Barbara.

“St Mark's Basilica is in at York and Leopardstown and is entered on Champions Day as well,” O'Brien added. “We will get a little bit down the road before we really commit. Snowfall has the two entries (QIPCO Champion Stakes and QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares). We are looking at the Yorkshire Oaks at the moment for her.

“Bolshoi Ballet (entered for QIPCO Champion Stakes) is in America at the moment and he is going to run in Saratoga at the weekend in a Group 1 there. Santa Barbara (entered for QIPCO Champion Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes) is going back to America the following weekend for the mile and a quarter fillies' race. They will come back to Europe after that. Neither of them are soft ground horses.”

Last year's runner-up Skalleti is due to renew rivalry with Addeybb, his trainer Jerome Reynier having had a return to Ascot firmly in his sights all year.

Reynier said: “As a gelding the most prestigious race he could win is definitely the Champion Stakes, so we've been planning his season to bank on it. He is unbeaten in four starts this year and he now has three Group 1 wins under his belt.

“He will probably have one or two races before it and we really hope he will be able to have his ground on the day. He will probably go back to the Prix Dollar for a third time if he is in good form and the ground is soft enough, but we are aiming much for the Champion Stakes. If the ground is not soft enough for Arc weekend, he will be skipping the Prix Dollar.

“He had never run in a Group 1 prior to the Champion Stakes last year. The opposition was very high with Mishriff, Magical and Addeybb, but we were quite confident he'd run well. We really wanted to see how competitive he was going to be against those horses, and now we know we have one of the best horses in Europe on turf at a mile and a quarter.”

John Gosden, who enjoyed wide-margin wins here with Cracksman in 2017 and 2018, has two obvious candidates in Mishriff and Lord North. He has also entered Palace Pier here, as well as in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO).

He said: “Mishriff goes to York first for the Juddmonte and will then probably run in the Champion Stakes. Lord North is a possibility too. He had a throat infection and couldn't run in the Eclipse, so he hasn't run since Meydan in March, so he'll be coming fresh for the autumn.”

The race is also a possibility for last week's Qatar Nassau Stakes winner Lady Bowthorpe. Trainer William Jarvis said: “She's had a long season, but she's very tough and has an amazing constitution, so if she's still enjoying her work we'll definitely consider the Champion Stakes. In the meantime though we'll keep her against her own sex for as long as we can, and there's the Prix Jean Romanet and the Prix de l'Opera to look at before Ascot.”

No fewer than 26 individual Group 1 winning horses are entered for the QIPCO Champion Stakes who, between them, have accumulated 52 wins at the highest level.

Full Entries: Addeybb (IRE) Al Aasy (IRE) Armory (IRE) Benbatl (GB) Broome (IRE) Euchen Glen (GB) Helvic Dream (IRE) Innisfree (IRE) Japan (GB) Juan Elcano (GB) Lord North (IRE) Mishriff (IRE) Mogul (GB) Palace Pier (GB) Patrick Sarsfield (FR) Real World (IRE) Skalleti (FR) Stormy Antarctic (GB) Audarya (FR) Lady Bowthorpe (GB) Love (IRE) Tarnawa (IRE) Thundering Nights (IRE) Wonderful Tonight (FR) Adayar (IRE) Alenquer (FR) Bolshoi Ballet (IRE) Earlswood (GB) Foxes Tales (IRE) Highland Avenue (IRE) Lone Eagle (IRE) Mac Swiney (IRE) Master of The Seas (IRE) Mohaafeth (IRE) Mojo Star (IRE) Mostahdaf (IRE) Sealiway (FR) St Mark's Basilica (FR) Third Realm (GB) Joan of Arc (IRE) Mother Earth (IRE) Santa Barbara (IRE) Snowfall (JPN) Snow Lantern (GB)

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