THE Aga Khan Studs announced on Thursday the 2025 mating plans for some of its star mares, with its roster of five stallions all receiving strong support from the home broodmare band. In alphabetical order, the French stallions, at Haras de Bonneval, are Erevann (Dubawi), Siyouni (Pivotal), Vadeni (Churchill) and Zarak (Dubawi), while the world-class Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) has the stallion barn to himself at Gilltown Stud.
Leading French-based sire Siyouni will cover over 20 mares owned by the Aga Khan Stud. Among the maidens are last September’s Group 2 Blandford Stakes winner Hanalia (Sea The Stars), the 2024 Group 3 Munster Oaks winner Sumiha (Sea The Stars), and November’s Chantilly listed winner Ashiyma (Dariyan).
More established mares include the unraced Azmiyna (Galileo), dam of a pair of stakes winners including the multiple Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice); Group 3 Prix Minerve runner-up Calayana (Sinndar), dam of Group 2 winner and dual Group 1 runner-up Calandagan (Gleneagles); and Longchamp listed winner and Group 2-placed Shahnaza (Azamour).
Sea The Stars
German Group 2 winner Darkaniya (Frankel) and Zarkala (Frankel), a daughter of the brilliant Zarkava (Zamindar) who was unbeaten in seven starts and was champion of Europe twice, will also visit Siyouni after producing their first foals this spring, together with Group 3 Prix Chloe winner Tariyana; Dolia (Invincible Spirit), a dual listed-placed daughter of Group 1 winner Dolniya (Azamour); another dual listed-placed winner in Malicieuse (Galileo), a half-sister to two-time European champion Bago (Nashwan) and Group 1 winner Maxios (Monsun); and La Fiamma (War Front), a granddaughter of Six Perfections (Celtic Swing).
The brilliant champion and Gilltown Stud stalwart Sea The Stars, who finished 2024 as the leading sire of three-year-olds in Europe, will receive a select trio of Aga Khan mares, namely last season’s Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-French 1000 Guineas heroine Rouhiya (Lope De Vega); Sicinya (Pivotal), a young unraced full-sister to Siyouni; and Baiykara (Zarak), a Group 3 winner of the Prix de Royaumont and twice Group 2-placed.
Zarak, who was second only to his own sire Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) by percentage of group winners to runners in 2024, will cover 15 Aga Khan mares, among them particularly well-related individuals including Ereviya (Pivotal), a three-parts sister to triple Group 1 winner Ervedya (Siyouni); Tasalka (Lope De Vega), a Naas maiden-winning half-sister to stakes winner Tarana (Cape Cross), the dam of multiple Group 1 winners Tarnawa (Shamardal) and Tahiyra (Siyouni); and Etneya (Siyouni), a Group 3 runner-up and half-sister to Group 2 winner and Group 1 classic placed Eziyra (Teofilo), the dam of the 2024 Group 1 Oaks winner Ezeliya (Dubawi).
Visiting Zarak
Also visiting Zarak will be the Group 3 winner and Group 1 Prix Rothschild runner-up Sagamiyra (Sea The Stars); Ebba (Medaglia D’Oro), a winning half-sister to Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) who is from the Aga Khan’s illustrious ‘E’ female family, while the ‘H’ family is represented by the winning Hanakiyya (Danehill Dancer), dam of three pattern winners including last year’s Group 2 winner Hanalia.
Second season sires Vadeni and Erevann will again be supported by the Aga Khan Studs. Among the champion three-year-old Vadeni’s book will be Group 1 Prix de l’Opera winner Ridasiyna (Motivator), whose Churchill (Galileo) three-year-old, Ridari, will make his seasonal debut in the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau in mid-April. Vadeni will also cover Siyenica (Azamour), a Chantilly listed winner and Group 2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein placed half-sister to Siyouni, who is already the dam of Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Siyarafina (Pivotal).
Others among Vadeni’s mares are Dalma, a Dubawi daughter of Group 1 Prix de l’Opera winner Dalkala (Giant’s Causeway); Group 3 Athasi Stakes winner and Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes fourth Rehana (Dark Angel); and Kineta (Siyouni), a winning young mare from the family of High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells).
Erevann
Group 2 winning miler Erevann, meanwhile, is set to cover the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Dolniya (Azamour); another Group 1 winner in Prix Saint-Alary heroine Vazira (Sea The Stars); Group 3 Prix Minerve winner Zarshana (Sea The Stars), a half-sister to Zarkava; Group 2 winner and producer Ebiyza (Rock Of Gibraltar); dual listed winner and stakes producer Sirrin (Sea The Stars); and Candara (Barathea), the dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1 Prix Vermeille runner-up Candarliya (Dalakhani) and unbeaten stayer Candelari (Frankel). Candara recently foaled a Vadeni colt.
Among notable mares of the Aga Khan Studs visiting outside stallions are Group 1 Oaks winner Ezeliya, who will visit Justify (Scat Daddy), and her dam Eziyra (Teofilo), who will go back to Dubawi. Rondonia (Raven’s Pass), the dam of last year’s classic winner Rouhiya and who is currently in foal to Sea The Stars, will go to Frankel (Galileo), along with triple Group 1 winner Tarnawa.
Siyouni’s four-time Group 1 heroine Tahiyra, winner of the Moyglare Stud Stakes, Irish 1000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Matron Stakes, will go to Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), while her dam, Tarana, will visit Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) after producing her Siyouni foal.