PRINCESS ZAHRA AGA KHAN, Aga Khan Studs

Calandagan (Ire), 2021 g. by Gleneagles out of Calayana, by Sinndar

HERE is a nomination for a farm that has been a previous winner of 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, following her father’s death, this year is proving to be an outstanding one of success for the team.

After Daryz’s Arc victory, high on the list of achievements has been Calandagan’s four Group 1 wins, in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Champion Stakes, both at Ascot, and a record-breaking win in the Japan Cup.

He has been in the money on all 14 of his lifetimes starts, winning eight and finishing second five times. Calandagan was runner-up in his first four starts at Group 1 level, and now has won the other four. He is a model of consistency, and was voted the Cartier Horse of the Year.

A couple of Group 3 victories in France prefaced his challenge for the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, which he won by six lengths. He is by some margin the biggest earner for his sire, with winnings of more than €7 million.

The Aga Khan Studs have retained Calandagan’s dam Calayana and all but one of her offspring. Calayana ran second in Deauville’s Group 3 Prix Minerve. She has three winners with her first three foals, and the good news is that she is in foal to Siyouni.

WILLIAM KENNEDY

Ethical Diamond (Ire), 2020 g. by Awtaad out of Pearl Diamond, by Areion

THOUGH he was a Royal Ascot winner and successful in the £500,000 Ebor Handicap at York this year, Ethical Diamond headed to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar having three wins on the flat and a single success over hurdles to his credit. None of these were blacktype races, and now he is a top-flight winner on the world stage.

Gelded at two, Ethical Diamond was bred by William Kennedy in Tipperary, and raced in his wife Emma’s name when trained by Michael O’Meara to win at Limerick on his third start. He then sold at Tattersalls and joined Willie Mullins. He finally won a maiden hurdle at Punchestown in February this year and was fourth in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Ethical Diamond improved on his effort last year and won the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot, sent off favourite. He was favourite again when readily winning the Ebor, and now he is a Grade 1 winner.

The Breeders’ Cup win was very timely for Kennedy who, under Stanley Lodge, offered a full-brother to Ethical Diamond at last month’s Goffs November Sale, and he sold for €380,000 to Peter & Ross Doyle Bloodstock. He is just the fourth offspring of Pearl Diamond, a German three-year-old winning daughter of Areion (Big Shuffle).

Pearl Diamond’s three-parts brother Precious Boy (Big Shuffle) won the Group 2 Mehl-Mulhens Rennen, the German 2000 Guineas, and was runner-up in a Group 1.

JOHN CONNAUGHTON

Bay City Roller (Ire), 2022 c. by New Bay out of Bloomfield, by Teofilo

BRED by Johnny Connaughton in Co Westmeath, Bay City Roller’s fourth career win, in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Bayern, not only enhances the reputation of the colt’s breeder, but this is another win at the highest level for the family that descends from Bay City Roller’s third dam, Secreto’s daughter Rahaam. He is the eighth Group 1 winner under that mare.

Bay City Roller sold for €320,000 in Goffs Orby Book 1, and won first time out, after which he was sold to Victorious Racing/Forever. He remained unbeaten at two, on his third start winning the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. He was having a frustrating second season, runner-up three times in Group 2 races, but not only did he get his head in front in Munich, but won by seven lengths. The third and best foal out of Bloomfield, Bay City Roller is a half-brother to stakes-placed Botanical (Lope De Vega), a 260,000gns yearling. Named after the family’s hotel business, Bloomfield gets stunning stock. Her two-year-old Blue Point daughter Blooming Rose sold for €850,000 at Goffs last year, while that filly’s yearling full-brother brought €675,000 this year.

The Connaughton connection with this family started with an inspired purchase by Johnny’s great friend, Ted Naughton, at the Tattersalls December Sale in 2002. He spent 58,000gns on an unraced Desert King three-year-old, Ramona, a half-sister to Group 2 King’s Stand Stakes winner Cassandra Go and the Group 3 Coventry Stakes winner and Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up Verglas.

DAVID MAGNIER, Grange Stud

Grey Dawning (Ire), 2017 g. by Flemensfirth out of Lady Wagtail, by Milan

A €40,000 graduate of the Derby Sale, Grey Dawning has only raced 18 times, but his record is two bumper wins, three victories over hurdles including the Grade 2 Leamington Novices’ Hurdle, and five wins over fences, all blacktype successes. His first Grade 1 was in the 2024 Turners Novices Chase at Cheltenham, and now he has added the Betfair Chase at Haydock, a race he was runner-up in 12 months ago. He has been placed twice in Grade 1 races at Aintree.

Grey Dawning was bred by Grange Stud in Fermoy. He failed to sell as a foal for €34,000, before being signed for by Brendan Bashford at the Derby Sale, on both occasions consigned by Castledillon Stud. He and his full-sister Blanketontheground, twice a winner over hurdles, are two of the four winners for the unraced Lady Wagtail.

While dam of four winners with her first four named foals, Lady Wagtail has been an infrequent breeder, though her latest offspring is a yearling filly by Crystal Ocean. Lady Wagtail’s half-brother Teaatral won the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Ascot and Kempton’s Grade 2 Rendlesham Hurdle.

Until the emergence of Teaatral, this was a flat family, and indeed two pattern winners are out of a winning half-sister to him. She is Pious, the dam of full-brothers Penitent and Supplicant. The first-named won two Group 2s and was second in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret. Supplicant won the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at two.