Aga Khans Good Fortune: Notable Exploit of His Colorbearers in This Years St. Leger, Daily Racing Form, 1932-10-29

article


view raw text

AGA KHANS GOOD FORTUNE Notable Exploit of His Colorbearers in This Years St. Leger. 4 Four of First Five Horses, Including the Winner, Owned by Indian Potentate His Great Record. LONDON, England. While it may not be unique for the owners horses to run one-two in an English classic, the Aga Khans good fortune in having his four starters finish among the first five horses in the St. Leger at Doncaster is a record. But for Silvermere, which finished third, the Indian potentates starters would have occupied the leading four places in the following order: Firdaussi, Dastur, Udaipur and Taj Kasra. Furthermore, it is a record from a breeding point of view, as all four horses were bred by the Aga Khan at his Sheeshoon Stud, Kildare, Ireland. When the veteran horseman, Freddie Fox, drove home Firdaussi a head in front of his atablemate, Dastur, which has now been runner-up for the triple crown Two Thousand Guineas, Derby and St. Leger he rode his first winner of the Doncaster classic and achieved for the Aga Khan his second success in this great distance stake, as Salmon Trout in 1924 carried the green and chocolate hopes to victory. In 1923 Teresina finished third, a performance that Rustom Pasha duplicated, in 1930. Lambo was the runner-up to Solario in 1925, so the Indian potentates St. Leger accomplishments in the short space of nine years have been to say the least, remarkable. Firdaussis triumph In the St. Leger gave the Aga Khan his fifth classic success since he. first registered his popular silks in England ten years ago. He won the Derby with Blenheim 1930, and twice had the runner-up, Zionist 1925 and Dastur 1932. Udaipur 1932 triumphed for him in the Oaks, while Teresina 1923 carried his silks into third place. With Drophon 1924 he won the Two Thousand Guineas and had the runner-up in Dastur 1932. The only classic he has not won is the One Thousand Guineas, in which he has twice had the runner-up, Cos 1923 and Mumtaz Mahal 1924. Firouze Mahae finished third in 1925. He bred the 1929 winner of the One Thousand, Taj Mah, a filly that he sold as a yearling to the French sportsman Simon Guthmann. MILLION DOLLAR DECADE. In his ten years on the English turf the Aga Khan has won more than ,250,000 in first money prizes with horses that have mrried his silks. Since 1928, when the first of the horses he bred at his Irish stud farm fcegan racing, he has bred the winners of 18,575 in first money to date. Firdaussi, the Aga Khans latest classic winner, was bred in Ireland at the Sheeshoon Stud, and foaled in March, 1929. He is a massive, good-looking chestnut colt by the 1923 Derby runner-up, Pharos sire of the Derby-Guineas winner Cameronian, from Brownhylda, the Oaks winner of 1923, by the 1911 Derby runner-up, Stedfast, from Valkyrie, by Eager, and is of the No. 1 family. Acting for the Aga Khan, Sir Harry Greer, director of the Indian potentates breeding stud, bought Brownhylda for 6,255 from the Vicomte de Fontarce at the Newmarket December sales of 1924. She had won the Oaks for the French sportsman the previous year by a neck from Sir Edward Hultons Shrove, with the Aga Khans Teresina, her atablemate at Whatcombe, third, only a head behind. NAMED AFTER PERSIAN POET. Firdaussi, named after the Persian poet, author of the Shah-Nameh, made a successful debut as a two-year-old, winning the five furlongs 140 yards Fulbourne Stakes at the 1931 Newmarket First July meeting. He took the measure of seven rivals, including the smart Lady Trace. In his next start at the Doncaster St. Leger meeting he finished third to Rolling Rock and Hat Guard in the six furlongs Rous Plate. He again found winning form at the Newbury September meeting, when he led home twelve rivals in the six furlongs Newbury Autumn Foal Plate, scoring a handy victory over Gavelkind and Ortygia. He duplicated this feat the next time out when he scored by a nose over Short Hand in the seven furlongs Dew-hurst Stakes at the Newmarket Final October meeting. In his final juvenile race, the six furlongs Hurst Park Great T. Y. O. Stakes, Firdaussi failed by less than a length to stave off the challenge of Old Riley, which he had beaten earlier at Newbury. In five starts as a two year-old Firdaussi was never out of the money, and he earned 7,175 in first prizes. Before his St. Leger victory Firdaussi raced six times this season, his one victory being in the mile and a half Gordon Stakes at Goodwood. Earlier he finished third to Miracle and Goyescas in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park, and third to Orwell and Tolvadden in the Greenham Plate of Newbury in the spring. After racing second to April the Fifth in the Derby Trial Stakes at Hurst Park in May, he finished fifth to the same horse in the Derby. In his one other race Firdaussi was placed fourth behind Goyescas, Sandwich and Primitif in the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1930s/drf1932102901/drf1932102901_22_1
Local Identifier: drf1932102901_22_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800