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Posted: Sunday, October 04, 2009 1:53 PM

Aga Khan continues stellar weekend
on Sunday at Longchamp

by Mike Curry

The breeding and racing operations of the Aga Khan and his family collected so much hardware this weekend at Longchamp they might have to construct a new wing for the trophy collection.

The Aga Khan and his family won three group stakes on Saturday, including Varenar’s upset victory over top-class miler Goldikova (Ire) in the Total Prix de la Foret (Fr-G1), and continued the scorching streak on Sunday with four Group 1 wins on the undercard of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1).

"Totally unbelievable; I never expected all this success but it is a team effort," the Aga Khan told Racing Post.

The Aga Khan family’s superb Sunday concluded with a thrilling victory by homebred Alandi in the 4,000-meter (19.88-furlong) Prix de Cadran (Fr-G1).

The grueling Longchamp test for Europe’s top stayers also was the swansong for record-setting four-time Gold Cup (Eng-G1) winner Yeats. Europe’s Cartier Award winner as champion stayer in 2006, ’07, and ’08, Yeats stalked the pace from second and attempted to shake free entering the straight.

The champion was challenged by Alandi and battled before giving way in deep stretch. Kasbah Bliss closed with a steady rush and took dead aim on Alandi, but the four-year-old Galileo (Ire) colt dug in gamely to prevail by a nose for the red-hot Aga Khan.

Trained by John Oxx, who also conditions superstar Arc de Triomphe winner Sea The Stars, Alandi completed the distance in 4:12.70. Stakes winner Aliya, by Darshaan, is the dam of Alandi.

Aga Khan homebreds swept the two-year-old Group 1s as Siyouni improved to four wins in six starts with a 1 1/2-length score in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Fr-G1) (Grand Criterium) and Rosanara powered to a two-length triumph in the Total Prix Marcel Boussac (Fr-G1) (Criterium des Pouliches) for two-year-old fillies.

Both Siyouni and Rosanara are trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, who won three Group 1 races among five group stakes over the weekend.

Siyouni was produced by the stakes-winning Danehill mare Sichilla, a half sister to multiple Group 1 winner Slickly (Fr). A bay Pivotal colt, Siyouni completed 1,400 meters (6.96 furlongs) in 1:19.50 on turf rated as good.

Rosanara, unbeaten in two starts, is out of multiple stakes winner Rosawa, by Linamix. The Sinndar filly covered 1,600 meters (7.95 furlongs) in 1:37.20.

Later on Sunday’s card, Aga Khan homebred stakes winner Shalanaya handled a step up in class to defeat a strong field in the Qatar Petroleum Prix de l’Opera (Fr-G1) in her first start against older females. Unplaced in her only previous start in a group stakes, the three-year-old Lomitas (GB) filly won the Prix de l’Opera by 1 1/2 lengths under Maxime Guyon.

Trained by Mikel Delzangles, Shalanaya completed 2,000 meters (9.94 furlongs) in 2:01.80 on turf rated as good to improve to three wins in five starts. She is out of stakes-placed winner Shalamantika.

Group 3 winner Board Meeting finished second, followed by 2009 Blue Square Nassau Stakes (Eng-G1) winner Midday, runner-up in the Investec Epsom Oaks (Eng-G1).

Group 1 winner Alpine Rose finished fourth, last year’s Prix de l’Opera winner Lady Marian was sixth, and Irish classic winner Again finished seventh.

In addition to the Prix de la Foret, Aga Khan family homebreds Daryakana and Manighar won the Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Fr-G2) and Qatar Prix Chaudenay (Fr-G2), respectively, on Saturday.

The fifth Group 1 race on Sunday’s Arc undercard was the Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (Fr-G1), a 1,000-meter (4.98-furlong) sprint that serves as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on November 7 at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park meeting.

Total Gallery upset Fleeting Spirit (Ire) by a neck to nail down his first group stakes victory in the Prix de’ l’Abbaye, completing the distance in :55.10. The three-year-old Namid colt entered off a runner-up finish in the Dubai Duty Free World Trophy (Eng-G3). Trainer Stan Moore said Total Gallery probably will not race again this season.

Fleeting Spirit, fourth last year in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, remains on target for this year’s edition.

“She had a nightmare run and too much to do. I didn’t think she would make the ground up but there we go,” Fleeting Spirit’s part-owner, British Horseracing Authority chairman Paul Roy, said. “She’s so game and is likely to stay in training next year. Now I’d like to take on the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.”

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor