Aga Khan's Hazapour enhances Derby credentials with smooth victory

Talented sire Shamardal supplied his 60th Group winner on Sunday when his son Hazapour caused an upset in the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown.

However, his victory may not have come as a surprise to his owner-breeder the Aga Khan, as the colt is from the family of one of his own Derby winners in Harzand - who also added the Irish equivalent of the Epsom Classic to his collection of elite wins.

This was not the first time that the family has struck in a Derby trial held at Leopardstown racecourse, as back in 2016 Harzand used his victory in the Group 3 Ballysax Stakes as a springboard to Epsom glory two months later.

Hazapour's dam is the Listed-winning Daylami mare Hazarafa, who has already produced the winners Harasava, Harrana and Hazamar.

Hazarafa is out of the Group 3-winning Xaar mare Hazariya, which makes her a half-sister to the dual Derby hero Harzand andnthe Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed Harasiya. This is also the family of Group 1 heroine Seal Of Approval.

The 11-year-old mare also has a two-year-old filly by Camelot and a yearling filly by Rock Of Gibraltar waiting in the wings.

Hazapour was born in 2015, meaning he hails from the ninth crop of Darley's Kildangan Stud resident Shamardal, the penultimate crop bred before the son of the late great Giant's Causeway became listed as private.

Since 2016 Shamardal has only covered mares owned by Sheikh Mohammed and his brother Sheikh Hamdan, as well as other members of the Maktoum family and their associates.

Shamardal is the sire of 19 Group/Grade 1 winners, a number which includes his exciting stallion sons Lope De Vega and Mukhadram - who got off the mark on Friday - and Meon Valley Stud's Prix de l'Opera heroine Speedy Boarding.

His 19th top-flight winner came last month when the mercurial Pakistan Star ran out an impressive winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong.

The cross of Shamardal over Daylami has also produced one other winner in the shape of the Listed-winning mare Our Obsession.

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