HARZAND trounced nine rivals by 16 lengths and more in a Cork maiden, an odds-on success that was followed two weeks later by defeat of Idaho in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown, both on heavy ground.
The Aga Khan’s homebred, trained by Dermot Weld, then hit the front over a furlong from home before staying on in great style to win the Group 1 Derby at Epsom by a length and a half from US Army Ranger, with Idaho another length and a quarter behind in third and a five-length gap back to Wings Of Desire.
The late and much-lamented Pat Smullen, who rode the colt in all of his starts, sent him to the front even sooner at the Curragh, the pair going noticeably well from a long way out, taking the lead two and a half furlongs from home and fighting back to keep Idaho at bay by half a length. Steller Mass was almost four lengths adrift in third.
The dual Derby hero, an early stallion son of the Timeform 140-rated Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and dual classic-winning champion Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) – his team-mate at Gilltown Stud – covered a triple-digit book of mares in 2020, the year his first two-year-olds hit the track.
He is by the sire of the runaway Group 1 Deutsches Derby victor Sea The Moon, whose double-digit total of stakes winners includes last year’s classic-placed Group 1 Coronation Stakes heroine Alpine Star and Group 1-placed Group 2 scorer Quest The Moon.
Two of Harzand’s first-crop juvenile winners hold Group 1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks entries. Port Sunlight, a Moyglare Stud homebred trained by Dermot Weld, beat a big field by three lengths and more over a mile at Gowran Park in October. She is a half-sister to a wide-margin stakes winner and out of the regally related Group 3 scorer Liber Nauticus (Azamour).
French Fusion is a Kilcarn Stud-bred, four-length Galway maiden winner trained by Jim Bolger. She represents the famous family of the Arc-winning mother and son Detroit (Riverman) and Carnegie (Sadler’s Wells).
Harzand is the best of four stakes winners out of Group 3 Athasi Stakes winner Hazariya (Xaar) and the long list of stakes winners in the first few generations of his family include the Group 1 stars Seal Of Approval (Authorized), Streama (Stratum) and Hittite Glory (Habitat), the latter the Group 1 Middle Park and Group 1 Flying Childers Stakes star of 1975.
It shouldn’t be long before we know the names of Harzand’s first stakes and pattern winners.
HARZAND (IRE), Brown 2013. Champion 3yr old in Europe in 2016 (11-13f.). Won four races, £1,535,850, from 1 mile 2 furlongs to 1½ miles, at 3 years including, Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, Curragh, Gr.1, Investec Derby Stakes, Epsom Downs, Gr.1, P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3.
Retired to Stud in 2017, and sire of the winners of 9 races, and £61,842.
Stands at: Gilltown Stud, Gilltown, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, R56 P710, Ireland.
Contact: Pat Downes or Julie White
Telephone: +353 (0)45 481216
Email: pat.downes@agakhanstuds.com
Web: www.agakhanstuds.com
Fee: €8,000