PRINCESS ZAHRA AGA KHAN, Aga Khan Studs

Samangan (Ire), 2023 c. by Blue Point out of Samadrisa, by Oasis Dream, and Rayif (Ire), 2023 c. by Sea The Moon out of Rayisa, by Holy Roman Emperor

THIS is a special nomination for a farm that has previously won the Connolly’s Red Mills/The Irish Field Breeder of the Year award, the Aga Khan Studs. Now under the stewardship of Princess Zahra Aga Khan, the stud has been enjoying unprecedented success in the past two years, and indeed 2026 is a special one so far.

Last month the Aga Khan Studs were shortlisted for Calandagan, but in August they won Group 1 races in France with a pair of three-year-old colts bred at their Irish farms. Samangan was winning at the highest level for the first time, taking the Prix Maurice de Gheest which was run in memory of Louis Romanet, while Rayif added The Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques Le Marois to his March victory in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains-French 2000 Guineas. Don’t forget too that the Arc winner Daryz has built on his fine record with two Group 1 wins, in the Prix Ganay and Prix Aga Khan IV, formerly the Prix d’Ispahan.

Samangan is one of the fastest and most precocious colts produced by the Aga Khan Studs since the Group 1-winning two-year-old Siyouni. He won the Group 3 Prix Eclipse and Group 2 Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte last year. Rayif gave the Aga Khan Studs a first victory in the Prix Jacques Le Marois since Kalamoun in 1973, and he too had won the Poule d’Essai des Poulains.

JOHN TUTHILL, Owenstown Bloodstock Ltd

Sun Goddess (Ire), 2024 f. by Sioux Nation out of Etoile Bleu, by Starspangledbanner

THERE are few breeders who can boast of having a record as good as that of John Tuthill at his Owenstown Stud in Maynooth, Co Kildare. In 15 years since Excelebration won the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp in September 2011, the first of three top-flight successes, Tuthill has gone on to produce two Group 1 winners out of Choose Me, both successful on British Champions Day. They are Persuasive and Creative Force.

Three years ago, Art Power was a third Owenstown-bred winner on British Champions Day when he beat Kinross in the Group 1 Sprint, and now Sun Goddess is his fifth individual winner at the top level in that period. What an achievement for Tuthill and his family. Next year will be the 30th anniversary of Tuthill taking over the farm, which he had run for a few years with his aunt Averil Whitehead, and which was founded in the 1930s by his grandfather Frank Tuthill.

Sun Goddess’s win in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes was the breeder’s first, but it was Aidan O’Brien’s 18th. This was the first occasion on which he did so with a filly. Sun Goddess is a Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale graduate, and her success secured back-to-back wins in the Phoenix Stakes for a graduate of that sale, Power Blue winning last year. Avenue Bloodstock’s Mark McStay signed for Sun Goddess at £120,000 on behalf of MV Magnier, and she races for the quartet of Smith, Magnier, Tabor and Westerberg.

MICHAEL & TOM GAFFNEY, Hawes Stud & Churchtown House Stud

Senorita Bonita (Ire), 2024 f. by Starspangledbanner out of Belicious, by Ruler Of The World

THE love affair between the Gaffney brothers, Tom (Churchtown House Stud) and Michael (Hawes Stud), and Castlehyde Stud’s Starspangledbanner has yielded what it has always promised to do, a Group 1 winner. Senorita Bonita slammed the opposition to win the Sumbe Prix Morny at Deauville by four lengths.

Incredibly, Senorita Bonita did not find a buyer on the first two occasions she went to the sales, failing at 75,000gns both as a foal and a yearling. The brothers did not lose faith in her, and sent her to Mark Flannery at Egmont Stud to be prepped for this year’s Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale. She went on to top the sale at 900,000gns (almost €1.1 million). Anthony Stroud bought her on behalf of Victorious Forever.

Senorita Bonita is the first foal from the unraced Belicious who has two stakes-winning siblings by Galileo. Sub Rose won the Group 3 Prix de Royaumont and bred two group winners, the best of them being Subway Dancer who was a Group 2 winner and placed in the Group 1 Champion Stakes. The other stakes-winning sibling, Astonishing, bred the 2025 Italian Group 3 juvenile winner Dr Omran. Senorita Bonita’s third dam Magic Gleam was born 40 years ago. This half-sister to a Group 1 winner in South Africa won the Group 2 Child Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting in 1989. That was her first run after being beaten by Golden Opinion in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

CHRISTOPHER TSUI, Sunderland Holding Inc.

Al Aasy (Ire), 2017 g. by Sea The Stars out of Kitcara, by Shamardal

THOUGH he is pitched against four Irish-bred Group 1 winners this month, the nine-year-old Al Aasy truly deserves to be shortlisted for the Tsui family. In a 32-race career so far he has won 13 races, all of them, apart from his first victory, coming in listed or Group 3 company, until now. A favourite in the Haggas yard, he won the Group 2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville by a short neck, getting up in the final strides to deny Chestnut Rocket who is five years his junior.

Al Aasy has only twice run in Group 1 company, and on one of these occasions he was beaten a neck by Pyledriver, while the other runners that day were Japan, Albaflora, Highland Chief and Mogul. His winnings are now just short of £750,000, a fair return on his 300,000gns yearling price when Angus Gold bought him for Shadwell from Mount Coote Stud.

William Haggas endorses his love for the gelding last year when he spent 475,000gns on Al Aasy’s yearling full-sister, a year after another son of Sea The Stars out of Kitcara realised 800,000gns. Kitcara was a clever buy when she sold to Kern Lillingston Bloodstock as a four-year-old in Arqana for €120,000, having won over a mile at three. Al Aasy’s grandam was a listed winner in Germany, his third dam’s eight winners included the Group 1 Italian juvenile winner Konigstiger, while the next dam, Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Gull Nook, bred dual Group 1 winner Pentire.