ENGLISH VERSION come to no surprise really as he is with master trainer Guillaume Macaire and his young associate Hector de Lageneste. This was their 2 nd win together as a training partnership with it bringing Hector to tears understandably so afterwards and a record 8 th win in the race for Royan based stable. It was a 3 rd win in the race for 45-year-old jockey Johnny Charron and a 5 th for defending champion owner Xavier Papot, all are outstanding statistics when you look back. Sel Jem hadn’ t had it easier either since his triumphant win four years ago. Tendon injuries have plagued his career stopping him from dominating a division that was his for the taking along with a broken hip, and then earlier this year a temperature left him on stable rest for three weeks and it was touch and go whether he’ d make the prep race let alone any other race again. At his age he is lightly raced and in what was perfect jumping conditions he shows his class, jumping prowess and more importantly his ability to out stay every other horse. His class shown through and proved he was the best horse in the race for one of the best trainer France has ever seen.
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BREEDING
AGA KHAN STUDS
BY JOCELYN DE MOUBRAY
The Aga Khan Studs have enjoyed plenty of good years, however 2025 was the best of the twenty first Century and it looks as though this year is going to be better still. Before the end of May the Aga Khan Studs have already won four Group 1 races and established two future stallions in Daryz and Rayif. It is no doubt an additional satisfaction for all of those involved to have won the first Group 1 Prix Aga Khan IV with Daryz, formerly the Prix d’ Ispahan renamed for the man who developed the studs over nearly seventy years.
France has been the centre of the Aga Khan Studs’ racing and breeding operation since the early years of the Century after the acquisition of Jean Luc Lagardere’ s racing and breeding stock. The breeding and racing stock are split between France and Ireland but with some exceptions most of the success has been in France. From 2005 to 2025 the Aga Khan Studs have averaged thirteen Group or Listed wins every year in France alone. There were somewhere between twelve and twenty three black type wins every year from 2005 to 2015, and then a less successful period from 2016 to 2024 with between three and twelve Group or stakes wins every year. 2025 was the best year since 2005 with 24 Group or Listed wins in France and forty four places, and this year with already eleven wins and eleven places the final total is likely to be better still. The outstanding years included 2009 when those carrying the Aga Khan’ s colours included Siyouni, Varenar, Rosanara, Behkabad, Rajsaman, Shalanaya and Darykana and there were a total of twenty two black type wins in France and 34 places. 2015 was another stand out year including the Champions Ervedya and Vazirabad featuring among nineteen black type wins and twenty eight places, while a two year old son of Dubawi and Zarkava, Zarak, made a winning debut in Deauville. The numbers of horses involved has remained constant, there were 79 different runners in the Aga Khan colours in France in 2009, 87 in 2015 and 78 in 2025. Every breeding operation, even one of the size of the Aga Khan Studs, will have results which vary from year to year. Thoroughbred breeding is an agricultural activity, influenced by the weather, by inevitable risks of accidents and injuries and many other factors. However, if the success in the years from 2005 to 2015 was in part a result of the acquisition of the Lagardere horses it is worth posing the question why the studs look to be at the beginning of a new virtuous cycle of success since 2024.
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