Zarkava and Tarnawa Among 22 Aga Khan Mares For Siyouni

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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Arc Hero Torquator Tasso ‘Working Well’ Ahead of Return

Marcel Weiss, trainer of the reigning Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), has provided an upbeat bulletin on the 5-year-old ahead of his eagerly-anticipated return to action at Baden-Baden on Sunday. 

Torquator Tasso shocked the racing world by becoming the longest-priced winner in Arc history when returning a 72-1 chance in a race where he had Dermot Weld's globetrotting mare Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) and Irish Derby hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in behind. 

The poster boy of German racing will return in the G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft at Baden-Baden, a track he tasted top-notch success at last term when snaring the 149th Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden before his memorable triumph at ParisLongchamp, and Weiss has described his stable star as having done very well over the winter. 

Speaking to TDN Europe, he said, “Torquator Tasso has wintered very well, settled down even more. He has been working very well, the preparation has been going according to plan and we are very hopeful for Baden-Baden, even though he is not yet at a 100%.”

Weiss has a big red circle around the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and will chart a path back to ParisLongchamp in the autumn with the aim of Torquator Tasso defending his crown.

Mapping out the campaign, he said, “The further plan is to go into the G2 Hansa-Preis at Hamburg, then there will be either Ascot [for the King George] or Berlin before we are planning for the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden and then onto the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.”

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‘Determination, Talent, And Class’: Breeders’ Cup Turf Winner Tarnawa Retired

Last year's Breeders' Cup Turf winner Tarnawa has officially been retired from racing, trainer Dermot Weld told racingpost.com on Thursday. The Aga Khan's 5-year-old daughter of Shamardal retires with a record of nine wins from 18 career starts, and earnings of $4,508,464.

“We saw her race for four seasons and she got better with every run,” Weld told racingpost.com. “She's right up there with the very best I've ever trained because she had some terrific qualities of determination, talent and class.”

Tarnawa was undefeated in 2020, capturing the Group 1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l'Opera before beating the boys in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, giving the world-travelling Weld his first win at the World Championships. She returned in 2021 to run second in both the G1 Irish Champion Stakes and the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, then did not fire in this year's edition of the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar.

“She was in great form coming into the race but had an exceptionally tough race in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on extremely testing ground. She gave her all in trying to win the Arc,” Weld continued. “Combining that with the long travel to California just took the edge off her. She looked magnificent and everything was right with her, but the mental sharpness just wasn't quite there.”

Read more at racingpost.com.

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‘Icing On The Cake’: Yibir Completes Appleby’s Del Mar Trifecta In Breeders’ Cup Turf

Trainer Charlie Appleby has experienced the entire rollercoaster of emotions that horse racing has to offer within the microcosm of a single weekend where the turf meets the surf. On Friday, one of his Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf entrants was scratched at the gate, while the other was mistakenly scratched, then reinstated to run for purse money only before winning convincingly. Again on Saturday in the Mile, one entrant was scratched at the gate while the other, Space Blues, galloped to victory.

The trainer's trifecta was completed on Saturday evening with a strong victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf by the quirky sophomore gelding Yibir.

“A fantastic weekend, though I'll be taking a couple of them home fresh,” Appleby said. “I don't know quite how to describe it, really… Today, obviously standing there again to see potentially what was unfolding in front of us, it took a little bit of stepping back and having to take a breath again. But I just knew the right horse was left in the gate in Space Blues, so he was always going to be the main player. And then that in the last, that was the icing on the cake, really. We felt this horse had a lot of talent, he was galloping really good with all our 3-year-old middle distance horses and he's gone and finished it off today.”

The Goldolphin homebred by Dubawi had just one horse beat around the far turn, so jockey William Buick had to be patient before unleashing his rally down the center of the course. That well-timed ride saw 8-1 chance Yibir run down Broome (9-1) to win by a half-length, completing 1 1/2 miles over Del Mar's firm turf course in 2:25.90, a new course record.

“It's been unbelievable,” Buick said. “An amazing weekend. I've been coming to Breeders' Cup for many years and many times things have not gone my way. I understand how hard it is to have winners here so I appreciate every bit of success. The luck has gone my way this year. I couldn't pull him up after the line as he finished that strong. He's a very special horse.”

Yibir was not particularly quick into stride when all 14 entrants broke from the starting gate, and labored at the back of the field in the early going. He seemed to settle in after the first half-mile, and Buick said he started to get confident in his chances from that point.

Up front, Tribhuvan and Acclimate pulled away from the rest of the pack by five lengths to set all the early fractions: :24.04, :48.38, 1:12.41. Closest to the frontrunning pair was Channel Maker, with Bolshoi Ballet and Walton Street also near the front. Meanwhile, defending Breeders' Cup Turf winner Tarnawa traveled just ahead of Yibir at the back of the field.

The field took closer order after a mile in 1:36.76, and Ryan Moore set about moving Broome up from the rear of the field. Buick tracked that move, and followed Moore's path to build up Yibir's momentum with a wide move around the far turn.

In the stretch run, Broome got away from the field by about two lengths, but Yibir switched to his right lead and mowed her down with a powerful late rally. At the line, Yibir was a half-length ahead of the Aidan O'Brien-trained mare, while 3-year-old filly Teona ran a bang-up race to finish third. Japan checked in fourth, while Channel Maker hung around to finish fifth.

The remaining order of finish was: Bolshoi Ballet, Sisfahan, Rockemperor, Walton Street, Gufo, Tarnawa, Astronaut, Tribhuvan, and Acclimate.

“It was the one race this weekend that I didn't know how to assess it,” Buick said of the Turf. “There was a lot of pace in the race but I didn't know what my horse, how he would be able to react. He's a bit of a complex character and you saw him at Belmont last time where he dropped himself out and I had that scenario in my head that he might be a bit rank, and anyway, he broke well, and he pulled hard.

“To be honest with you, I thought he was doing too much. But then once we turned into the back he dropped and he was in a good mile and a half steady rhythm and I was just hoping that he stayed there for the finish because he's got an amazingly strong finish, and halfway around the home turn I could see Broome had gone, but I was always confident of picking him up. He has an amazing turn of foot and I couldn't pull him up after the line. Amazing horse, and I think he did something that not many horses can do, so all credit to him and great weekend. Well done to Charlie and everyone at Godolphin, all the team at home, everyone. It's fantastic.”

Bred in Great Britain by Godolphin, Yibir is out of the winning German-bred Monsun mare Rumh. That mare, a $502,236 yearling purchase at the 2009 Tattersalls sale, is also the dam of multiple Group 1 winner and 2018 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Wild Illusion.

Yibir has had an up-and-down career for Appleby, though his final two runs ahead of the Breeders' Cup were both convincing victories, including the $1 million Jockye Club Derby Invitational at Belmont Park. Overall, the gelding has compiled a record of six wins from 12 starts with earnings of $2,895,580.

“It's just a tribute to the job that Charlie does with his horses with the team he's got behind him, and certainly what William does on the afternoon,” said Godolphin's Jimmy Bell. “So it's been, I'm sure, a big team effort and a lot of credit goes to Charlie and his team for being able to present him on a day like today.”

Quotes from other connections:

Trainer Aiden O'Brien (Broome (IRE), second and Japan, fourth) – “They've all run well, but just not quite good enough today. The winner has done it well and is very smart.”

Trainer Roger Varian (Teona (IRE), third) – “As she angled for home I thought we had a big chance. Watching the race again I don't think it's an ideal track for her. Hopefully she's fine after the race. She'll be aimed at all the big races next year and it's very exciting. If having runners at Breeders' Cup doesn't get your blood up nothing will!”

Trainer Bill Mott (Channel Maker, fifth) – “He ran a super race. Luis (Saez) rode him great. There were two very fast horses in there, so we just laid in behind them. He ran hard. He ran is heart out. We were fifth, but if they give you a good effort you can't complain.”

Jockey Luis Saez (Channel Maker, fifth) – “He did everything right and I did everything they asked for. I just got beat. When I got to the quarter pole, he responded really well and I had some horse and thought I can win this race. I kept trying but the winner just kept coming.”

Jockey Colin Keane (defending winner Tarnawa, 11th) – “She ran flat. I think France last time on very soft ground took plenty out of her. She seemed fine after the race.”

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