'He will be much missed' - death of globetrotting grey Daylami at the age of 29

Daylami, one of the truly great greys, has died at the age of 29 at the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud in Ireland.

Bred by the Aga Khan, and sired by his Guineas winner Doyoun, Daylami raced first for Alain de Royer-Dupre, winning the Listed Prix Herod as a two-year-old before finishing second in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

He won the French Guineas at three as well as placing in the St James's Palace Stakes, Jacques le Marois and Prix du Moulin, before moving to the Godolphin operation and Saeed bin Suroor that winter.

Switching from green to blue silks, Daylami began to stretch out over further than a mile, taking the Tattersalls Gold Cup, the Eclipse and the Man o'War Stakes at Belmont Park. 

The sturdy performer, who became a striking white colour as he aged, was in his prime for Frankie Dettori as a five-year-old, recovering from a luckless run in the Dubai World Cup to claim the Coronation Cup and taking both the King George and Irish Champion Stakes with total conviction. 

Disappointing on heavy ground in the Arc, Daylami signed off in perfect style in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Gulfstream, and ended up being both Cartier's European horse of the year and North American male turf champion.

A half-brother to Arc winner and fine sire Dalakhani, who died in 2021, Daylami stood for the next few years at the Aga Khan's studs in France and Ireland, in a partnership between the two breeding superpowers. He was briefly in South Africa and finished his professional assignments at Coolagown Stud in County Cork.

Daylami had been retired back at Gilltown for the last few years and died from the "infirmities of old age" just a fortnight before his official birthday. 

He will be remembered as a better racehorse than sire but did produce an Irish Derby winner in Grey Swallow, as well as Voila Ici, who won several Group 1s in Italy. 

Daylami's genes are also passed on as broodmare sire of the likes of Australian champion Pierro and St Leger winner Logician. He also sired a Weatherbys Champion Bumper winner in Silver Concorde.

A statement from the Aga Khan Studs read: "As a stallion, Daylami had enjoyed a happy retirement with the Aga Khan Studs back at his birthplace in Ireland, cared for by his devoted handler Joe Doyle. 

"He will be much missed by all the team and will be commemorated with a memorial at Gilltown Stud."