TOP two-year-olds, classic stars, leading older horses, European champions, sons at stud, and sires’ championship titles – and yet Siyouni is just 13 years old and potentially on the verge of a more significant stage of his career.

The Haras de Bonneval resident, whose early offspring featured the classic heroine Ervedya and the classic-placed Group 2 scorer Volta, has been getting mostly sprinters and milers.

Laurens proved that her sire could get a top 10-furlong horse when she won the Group 1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) over a half-furlong farther than that at Chantilly, but there was some doubt as to his potential to get a top-class performer over the full Derby distance – until last year. The emergence of European champion three-year-old Sottsass, a Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner who stepped up in trip to take the Group 2 Prix Niel before finishing third to Waldgeist and Enable in the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, may be his most significant result yet. That half-brother to US champion Sistercharlie (by Myboycharlie) is out of a daughter of Galileo (by Sadler’s Wells) – as is the smart Maqsad – and an increase in the number of more stamina-oriented mares going to Siyouni would increase the chance of him getting serious Derby and Oaks candidates in Ireland and England. His pedigree is predominately that of an eight-to-10-furlong horse.

He is one of 30 Group 1 winners among the 150 blacktype scorers by Cheveley Park Stud’s outstanding veteran Pivotal (by Polar Falcon), he is a half-brother to the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes and Grade 1 E P Taylor Stakes heroine Siyouma (by Medicean) and out of a stakes-winning half-sister to the triple mile Group 1 star Slickly (by Linamix). That horse also won the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris.

Third dam Country Queen (by Explodent) won the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes and was a half-sister to the dam of Procida (by Mr Prospector), a Group 1 Prix de la Foret and Grade 1 Hollywood Derby star who split Sadler’s Wells and Secreto in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas and later sired the mile classic scorer Shanghai. Siyouni’s siblings also include Siyenica (by Azamour), the stakes-winning dam of last year’s Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Siyarafina (by Pivotal).

In addition to Sottsass and his standout daughters Ervedya and Laurens, Siyouni’s best include the Group 2-winning sprinter Finsbury Square and several Group 1-placed pattern winners of whom City Light (Haras d’Etreham) and Le Brivido (Overbury Stud) are new sires for 2020.

There is every reason to believe that Siyouni’s current tally of three classic stars will increase significantly in the coming seasons.

SIYOUNI (FR), Bay 2007. Jt 4th top rated 2yr old in Europe in 2009. Won four races, £447,798, from 5 furlongs to 7 furlongs, at 2 years including, Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-Grand Criterium, Longchamp, Gr.1, Prix La Fleche, Maisons-Laffitte, L, also placed second in Prix Jean Prat, Chantilly, Gr.1, Prix Robert Papin, Maisons-Laffitte, Gr.2, Prix La Rochette, Longchamp, Gr.3, Prix de Fontainebleau, Longchamp, Gr.3, and third in Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Longchamp, Gr.1.

Retired to Stud in 2011, and sire of the winners of over 667 races, and over £18,738,562, including LAURENS (FR), SOTTSASS (FR), ERVEDYA (FR), AYLMERTON (AUS), FINSBURY SQUARE (IRE), VOLTA (FR), AL RAYA (GB), CITY LIGHT (FR), DEVIL (IRE), DREAM AND DO (IRE), ETOILE (FR), BARKAA (FR), LA SIGNARE (FR), LE BRIVIDO (FR), SACRED LIFE (FR), SIYOUSHAKE (IRE), SPECTRE (FR), TRIXIA (FR), BOURREE (GER), SOUVENIR DELONDRES (FR), MAQSAD (FR), NICE TO SEE YOU (FR), TERTIUS (FR), WALK IN MARRAKESH (IRE), EXPRESSIY (FR), FATALISTE (FR), SEQUILLA (FR), SULLY (FR), WATAYOUNA (FR), PAMPLEMOUSSE (IRE), STRAIGHT RIGHT (FR), SYRITA (FR), LADY SYBIL (FR), MOCKLERSHILL (FR)

Stands at: Haras de Bonneval, 14270 Le Mesnil Mauger, France.

Contact: George Rimaud (Manager) or Fanny Cyprès

Telephone: +33 2 31 48 18 60

Email: george.rimaud@agakhanstuds.com

Web: www.agakhanstuds.com

Fee: €100,000