CELEBRATING 100 years of racing thoroughbreds, the family of His Highness the Aga Khan has had a major influence on the development of the thoroughbred. This year is proving to be a good one for the farms in terms of their stallions and big race successes. Vadeni is in pole position for Cartier Horse of the Year running and is the Aga Khan’s current flagbearer.

Alain de Royer-Dupré handled the early career of Ebaiyra, a now five-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor (Forty Niner), and he placed her to win four times, all in group-company.

Her principal successes were gained in the Group 2 Prix de Pomone at Deauville and the Group 2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud, and last year she was beaten a length by Broome in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Keeping a mare such as this in training for another year would have been a decision not taken lightly by the Aga Khan, but it seems evident that given her ability, connections believe she is capable of winning at the highest level.

Following the retirement of her trainer, Ebaiyra is now in the care of Francis-Henri Graffard, and having been placed on her first three outings this year, narrowly beaten in the Group 2 Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket on Guineas weekend, she finally got her head in front at the weekend in the Listed Prix de la Pepiniere at Chantilly.

Top-class

Why would a Group 1 win be so important? Well, Ebaiyra is from a top-class family, and such a success would therefore be appropriate, and more so in the year of centenary celebrations. She is a half-sister to a couple of winners, one of which, Edisa (Kitten’s Joy), was a stakes winner in France and in the USA, and she was runner-up a couple of times in Group 2 races.

Badgers Bloodstock, who bought Prosperous Voyage as a yearling, also signed last December for Ebaiyra’s unraced half-sister Ebiyanza (More Than Ready) for €410,000 in Arqana.

As you might have guessed from the names mentioned so far, this is a family of Group 1 winners. In fact, Ebaiyra’s fourth dam, the stakes-winning Ebaziya (Darshaan), won or placed in all of her starts for John Oxx, and she won listed races at the Curragh, Leopardstown and Galway. Half of her eight winners won at Group 1 level, an astounding feat and one that places her among a very elite group of mares in the history of the thoroughbred.

Ebaiyra’s dam Ebiyza (Rock Of Gibraltar) won just once in France, but it was a significant victory in the Group 2 Qatar Prix de Royalieu. She in turn is the best of six winners from Ebalista (Selkirk), and that three-year-old winning daughter of Ebadiyla (Sadler’s Wells) was added to the broodmare band at the Smurfit’s Forenaghts Stud for €300,000 in 2017.

Classic win

Ebadiyla was a dual Group 1 winner, successful in both the Irish Oaks and the Prix Royal Oak, and at stud she is the dam of 10 winners. Among them is Eyshal (Green Desert), winner of the Centenary Vase in Hong Kong and placed in the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh. However, a couple of Ebadiyla’s sons won at the highest levels over jumps in this part of the world and in the USA. Ebaziyan (Daylami) won the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, while Ebanour (Indian Ridge) won many of the USA’s best races over jumps.

Ebadiyla is one of the four Group 1 winners produced by Ebaziya, an own-sister to the grandam of Group 1 star Taghrooda (Sea The Stars). Ebaziya also bred two winners of the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup, Enzeli (Kahyasi) and Estimate (Monsun), and the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Edabiya (Rainbow Quest).