Seventh heaven for Sea The Stars

While his half-brother was completing another stellar weekend at the Curragh, Sea The Stars continued to take his own reputation as a sire to new heights when Mekhtaal won the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan at Chantilly on Sunday.

The four-year-old, trained by Jean-Claude Rouget for Al Shaqab, is a seventh elite winner for Sea The Stars - and raises expectations anew for his sixth, Cloth Of Stars, who beat Mekhtaal in the Prix d'Harcourt last month before opening his Group 1 account in the Prix Ganay.

The eighth foal of the Group 3-winning Silver Hawk mare Aiglonne, Mekhtaal was bred by Haras du Mezeray and Lady O'Reilly's Skymarc Farm. All nine of Aiglonne's foals to have raced are winners, including Hocquart winner Democrate and a dual Grade 3 scorer in the US, Aigue Marine.

Aiglonne is out of the Theatrical mare Majestic Role, a half-sister to the dam of White Muzzle and runner-up in the Prix de la Salamandre.

Mekhtaal was bought by Mandore International Agency on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing for €300,000 at the 2014 Arqana August Yearling Sale.

Result and analysis