Israr starting to live up to family ties with gritty London Gold Cup success

Israr has plenty to live up to, being a son of Shadwell's mighty race mare Taghrooda, but the son of Muhaarar took another step up the ladder when proving impossible to pass in the BetVictor London Gold Cup at Newbury.

A Shadwell homebred through and through, the colt is by a sire who was bred by the late Hamdan Al Maktoum's operation and went on to prove a star performer for Charlie Hills, winning the Gimcrack Stakes at two before top-level victories in the Commonwealth Cup, July Cup, Prix Maurice de Gheest and British Champions Sprint Stakes.

Muhaarar, a son of Oasis Dream and out of the winning Linamix mare Tahrir, stood at Nunnery Stud after his retirement until his transfer to Haras des Faune for this season.

He has sired another Shadwell star in last year's British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes heroine Eshaada, as well as the second home that day in Kirsten Rausing's stakes winner and Yorkshire Oaks second Albaflora and this year's promising stayer and Sagaro Stakes third Enemy.

Israr is out of one of the most popular fillies in recent years in Oaks and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes heroine Taghrooda, a daughter of Sea The Stars and the Listed-winning Sadler's Wells mare Ezima.

Ezima is herself from a blue-blooded Aga Khan family, being out of an unraced Darshaan sister to Listed winner Ebaziya, the dam of four individual Group 1 winners including Gold Cup winner Estimate.

Israr is the third foal out of the 11-year-old Taghrooda and a half-brother to Almighwar, a winning son of Dubawi who has retired to stand at Garryrichard Stud in Wexford.

Taghrooda has a two-year-old brother to Almighwar called Takeed and a yearling filly by Kingman.

Shadwell enjoyed a tremendous afternoon at Newbury when Baaeed maintained his unbeaten record in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes. The son of Sea The Stars is a brother to multiple Group winner Hukum and out of the Kingmambo mare Aghareed, a daughter of Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Lahudood.

The operation's treble was completed by Muraad's success in the final contest, a mile handicap. The Dark Angel gelding was picked up for 160,000gns from Knocktoran Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in 2016. He is the second foal out of an unraced Tamayuz half-sister to Listed winner Dream Eater.

Read more

British trainers set to profit as Bahrain buying power soars past €1m at Arqana

Stradivarius does it again - we take a look ahead to his stud career

Assessed: Desert Crown's prospects of becoming Nathaniel's first Group 1-winning son

Explored: Emily Upjohn's pedigree and potential prowess for Epsom