IT is probably fair to say that no horse was more deserving of a Group 1 success than the four-year-old Calandagan. The homebred sports the famed Aga Khan colours, and is one of the most consistent performers currently in training.

The only sadness about his racing career is that it will not eventually see him join the roster of stallions at the Aga Khans Studs in Ireland or France, having been gelded at two after he ran third in a maiden on his debut. Mind you, that maiden was won by the subsequent Group 1 French 2000 Guineas winner Metropolitan! Next time out, Calandagan strode to a 10-length win on the Chantilly all-weather.

Since the start of his three-year-old season in 2024, he has always run in listed or group company, and his career trajectory would indicate that he is getting better with almost every run. Calandagan is likely to be the yardstick for excellence for the next few seasons. A couple of Group 3 victories in France prefaced his challenge for the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, and there he was hugely impressive, winning by six lengths.

His five runs since have all been in Group 1 contests, and some questioned his attitude when he was runner-up in four of them – to City Of Troy in the Juddmonte International, to Anmaat in the Champion Stakes, behind Danon Decile at Meydan in the Dubai Sheema Classic, and more recently to Jan Brueghel in the Coronation Cup.

Now, he has firmly I hope laid to rest any questions about his resolution with his maiden Group 1 win in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Biggest earner

His win on Sunday pushed his winnings to €2.3 million, putting him by some way the biggest earner for his sire Gleneagles (Galileo). He is the fifth Group or Grade 1 winner for the Coolmore stallion, joining Mill Stream (July Cup), Highland Chief (Man O’War Stakes), Palladium (2024 German Derby) and Loving Dream (Prix de Royallieu).

Impeccably-bred, and one of four Group 1 winners for his dam You’resothrilling (Storm Cat), dual classic winner and four-time Group 1 winner Gleneagles is now responsible for 43 group and stakes winners with his first five crops.

This season, Gleneagles stood for a third of the €60,000 fee he commanded when retiring to Coolmore in 2016. He was the champion juvenile in Ireland after winning the Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, and the following year he was the best miler of his generation when he added the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes to his successes in the Irish and English 2000 Guineas. His fee dropped to a low of €15,000 three years ago, but his progeny performances in recent years has steadied the ship, and he has solidly rebuilt his reputation.

Another of his runners this year, from the same crop as Calandagan, is Arrow Eagle, and his unbeaten run of four wins this year includes the recent Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly, run in homage to the late Aga Khan IV. In fact, all of his five stakes winners this season were born in that same year.

Galen won the Group 3 Alleged Stakes and was runner-up at Royal Ascot, One Look took the Group 3 Lodge Park Stud Park Express Stakes and chased Porta Fortuna home in the Group 2 Lanwades Stakes, while Gavea is a stakes winner in the USA.

Very little

The Aga Khan Studs have very little of the family of Calandagan now, but they have his dam Calayana (Sinndar) and all but one of her offspring.

Trained by Alain de Royer-Dupré, Calayana raced at three and four, winning each year and putting in her best performance to run second in the Group 3 Prix Minerve at Deaville over an extended mile and a half.

Her first foal is Caliyza (Le Havre), a dual winner who has been sold twice, for €100,000 at three, and again last year for 155,000gns, her value boosted by the emergence of Calandagan.

Calayana now has three winners with her first three foals, as her three-year-old Calamandra (New Bay) won on her debut in May and was less than a length off third place in a listed race next time.

No doubt connections will be looking forward to two younger produce of Calayana, her two-year-old daughter of Zarak (Dubawi) and yearling filly by Palace Pier (Kingman). Best of all, Calayana is in foal to Siyouni (Pivotal).

Daryz a likely heir to his sire

IF Calandagan’s stallion prospects ended at the hands of the unkindest cut of all, the Aga Khan Studs can dream of possibly having an heir apparent to Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) in his three-year-old son Daryz.

Trainer Francis-Henri Graffard is clearly excited about the colt and indicated at the weekend that he would look to giving him an entry in the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York.

This would represent a big leap of faith, and is also a huge vote of confidence in Daryz. Unbeaten in his three starts this year, he went into the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam with a listed win to his credit, but such was the ease with which he won his first pattern race that Graffard will surely have no difficulty persuading Princess Zahra Aga Khan to make the Juddmonte International entry.

Daryz gave connections their first win in the Prix Eugene Adam since 2015, a decade ago, and they won the race that day with Daryz’s half-brother Dariyan (Shamardal). He would go on to win the Group 1 Prix Ganay at four, while at the top level he was second in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan and third in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase. His challenge for the last-named race was an attempt to emulate his dam.

Daryz and Dariyan are out of Daryakana (Selkirk). In the care of Alain de Royer-Dupré, Daryakana won five times at three, adding the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase to a victory in the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu. At four she was placed in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Six of her seven winners are now stakes winners, and her first foal was Dariyan.

He has been followed by fellow blacktype winners Darabad (Dansili), a listed winner in France, Grade 2 US winner Devamani (Dubawi), French listed winner Dariyza (Dawn Approach), Group 2 German winner Darkaniya (Frankel), and now Daryz.

Daryakana had a filly foal this year by Erevann (Dubawi), and she is from the first crop by that Haras de Bonneval Group 2 winner, himself a son of the brilliant Ervedya (Siyouni). Daryz is from a very deep Aga Khan family, and Daryakana is a daughter of the Group 1 Prix de Diane-French Oaks and Group 1 Prix Vermeille winner Daryaba (Night Shift).