A new star in the making? Daryz’s half-brother makes the perfect start at Saint-Cloud

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The Aga Khan Studs team has plenty to look forward to following Daryz's recent victory in the Prix Ganay and it seems family fortune has struck another winning hand. 

That much was apparent on Tuesday when Daryzan gave more than a passing impersonation of his Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning half-brother. The three-year-old son of another Aga Khan champion in Zarak is trained, like his famed half-sibling by Sea The Stars, by Francis Graffard. 

Ridden by Mickael Barzalona, the odds-on favourite scythed to an impressive debut win in the Prix Mendez over a mile at Saint-Cloud, putting five lengths between himself and his rivals.

Graffard said: "The second came at him pretty hard. Mickael gave him one flick to see how he would react, and he just took off. The [soft] ground obviously didn't bother him. I'd be keen to step him up in trip but Mickael said he could stay at a mile. We'll see where the programme book dictates and how he comes out of the race.

"Obviously his mother is incredible. It's nice to be at the races with him, to win and to have a nice horse."

Daryzan is the latest exciting prospect out of Selkirk mare Daryakana, a winner of the 2009 Hong Kong Vase for Alain de Royer-Dupre. The talented performer also won the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu and placed a narrow third in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Daryakana has now retired from stud duties, having proven a brilliant producer over the years. Her Arc-winning son Daryz tops the list, but the mare is also the dam of another Group 1 hero in Dariyan. The son of Shamardal, who previously stood at the Aga Khan's Haras de Bonneval, landed the Prix Ganay in 2016 and also placed at the highest level in the Hong Kong Vase and Prix d'Ispahan. 

Dariyan spent his first seven seasons at Bonneval before transferring to Haras du Mont Goubert in 2024. The sire of Group winners Sayidah Dariyan, Princess Child and Mister Saint Paul, he died in June that year following an illness. 

Daryakana is also the dam of Group 2 Stuten-Preis winner Darkaniya, a daughter of Frankel, and dual US Graded victor Devamani, by Dubawi. Her Dawn Approach daughter, Dariyza, also achieved winning black type when capturing a Listed contest at Longchamp, while her Dansili son Darabad struck in stakes company at Clairefontaine. Her daughter by Lope De Vega, Darylakha, did not land black type but won at Lion d'Angers last April for Graffard.

Of Daryakana's 11 named foals, eight have raced and all of those have won. She produced her final foal, a filly by the Aga Khan's Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed miler Erevann, last year.

The previous race on the Saint-Cloud card, the Group 3 Prix Greffulhe, was won by Al Shaqab Racing's homebred Alam. The three-year-old became the 14th individual stakes winner and fourth Group scorer for Haras de Bouquetot resident Zelzal, a Group 1-winning son of Sea The Stars, with a length and a quarter defeat of Juddmonte's Regal Resolve.

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