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With homebred winners in Group company and at Royal Ascot, not to mention a highly promising start for Decorated Knight, 2021 was another excellent year for Blue Diamond Stud.

Amtiyaz hits the ground running

The stud hit the ground running in 2021 with Amtiyaz (4 c Frankel – Rose Of Miracles) providing a taste of what was to come by landing his first start of the year, a competitive staying handicap at Kempton.

The Frankel colt, bred at Blue Diamond Stud out of Goldikova’s relation Rose Of Miracles, had already by this stage struck up a good partnership with Hollie Doyle and that was once again on show at Kempton as always well positioned just off the leaders, he kicked clear over a furlong out and maintained a healthy advantage to score by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

No sooner had Amtiyaz crossed the line that afternoon, then it was the turn of his former paddock mate Emirates Currency (4 c Muhaarar – Loulwa) to shine with a deserved victory at Meydan in Dubai.

Another bred at Blue Diamond Stud by Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, he is out of Listed winner Loulwa, also the dam of multiple Listed winner Justineo, and was sold as a yearling to Ahmad Al Shaikh. Placed twice for Clive Cox, he was subsequently sent to Dubai, where he landed a deserved win in a 1m1f maiden at Meydan for Ali Al Rahyi. 

 

Easy for Liverpool Knight

The fine early season run for Blue Diamond Stud graduates continued into February with the facile maiden success of Liverpool Knight (3 c Golden Horn – Nouriya) at Wolverhampton.

Making his third start in a 1m4f novice, the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt strode clear for a resounding success to become the fourth winner for his dam, dual Listed winner Nouriya. A half-brother to Group 2 winner Aljazzi and Listed scorer Majestic Noor, the Golden Horn colt represents two generations of Blue Diamond breeding as a grandson of foundation mare Majestic Sakeena.

 

Special arrival

By March, the foaling season was in full swing, and March 4 marked the arrival of a very special foal – a Kingman half-sister to Decorated Knight.

The filly is out of Pearling, originally a 1.3 million guinea purchase by Tony Nerses to join the stud in 2011. She later passed through the Tattersalls ring for 2.4 million guineas in 2018.

Pearling immediately justified that initial outlay by producing Decorated Knight, who swept the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, Tattersalls Gold Cup and Jebel Hatta during a golden season with Roger Charlton in 2017. The son of Galileo now stands at the Irish National Stud and his first crop include such highly-rated two-year-olds as Wind Your Neck In, Damaar, Silver Bullet Lady and Zain Nights.

Pearling is also the dam of the winner Ambrosia, by Frankel, while her four-year-old filly Blue Diamond, a Galileo sister to Decorated Knight, is in training with John Gosden.

Pearling possesses royal bloodlines as a daughter of Grade 2 winner Mariah’s Storm, therefore making her a sister to champion Giant’s Causeway. The son of Storm Cat won six Group 1 races during his outstanding career and later became a breed-shaping stallion at stud.

Another sibling, Freud, is a leading sire in New York while sister You’resothrilling won the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes and is the dam of Group 1 winners Gleneagles, Marvellous and Happily.

On the track, BDS-bred Flagship Glory (4 g Australia – Azenzar) – known in Britain as Establish – served notice that he would be a force to be reckoned with in Hong Kong with a smooth success for Frankie Lor in the Hyacinth Handicap, a Class 3 event, at Sha Tin on March 7.

Previously a multiple winner for Roger Varian, Flagship Glory was bred by Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar out of fellow Blue Diamond-homebred Azenzar.

 

First runner a winner for Decorated Knight

A truly momentous day at Salisbury in early May featured a first winner for Decorated Knight from his very first runner.

Appropriately, the filly in question, Silver Bullet Lady (2 f Decorated Knight – Lost Icon), carried the colours of Imad Al Sagar and was trained by Roger Charlton, who sent Decorated Knight out to win the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes, Tattersalls Gold Cup and Jebel Hatta in 2017.

Making her debut against more experienced rivals in the 5f conditions race, Silver Bullet Lady was incredibly green, losing many lengths at the start when darting out to her left coming out of the gates. Once balanced by Hollie Doyle, however, she started to make relentless progress and showed a striking turn of foot to grab previous winner Out In Yorkshire and win going away.

Hollie Doyle was impressed, saying after the race: “Silver Bullet Lady was very impressive today….once she got into the stride of things and hit the cutaway she showed a great turn of foot to make up a lot of ground.

“Obviously being Decorated Knight’s first runner in the UK, it’s a great stamp for him and she definitely looks like she has Royal Ascot potential.”

A 40,000gns yearling purchase by Tony Nerses, Silver Bullet Lady was bred by Peter McCutcheon out of Lost Icon, a winning daughter of Intikhab whose previous eight winners include Listed scorer Elusive Beauty. Niggles prevented her from running again in 2021 but she is back in training and hopes remain high that she can build on her good start in 2022.

Her win came on the same card that the BDS-bred No Recollection (3 c Dansili – Talawat) won the 1m2f handicap for Alan King. 

The stud’s great run continued into the following week when Louganini (4 g Zoffany – Princess Loulou) ran out the easy winner of 1m4f handicap at Ascot.

Produced at the stud out of the Group 1-placed Princess Loulou, Louganini had looked potentially smart at two and three when successful at Newmarket and Haydock, and was again impressive, winning with ears pricked under Hollie Doyle by three-and-a-quarter lengths.

His win came on the same weekend that Pretty N Proud, a daughter of Ajaya bred at the stud out of Paradise Sea, broke her maiden at Dresden.

There was also success for the well-regarded homebred Faisal (4 c Golden Horn – Bella Lulu), who defied top weight to land a competitive handicap at Windsor. Despite badly missing the break badly, Faisal was soon travelling comfortably in the hands of Hollie Doyle and having made smooth progress towards the leader approaching the final furlong, took up the running and always had enough in hand to win cosily.

Faisal was the first foal out of our homebred Bella Lulu, also the dam of that month’s Listed Cocked Hat Stakes third Gentleman Joe. Bella Lulu, who carried our colours to victory at Doncaster as a three-year-old, is out of Loulwa, who won the Listed River Eden Stakes for us at Lingfield.

 

Royal Ascot success!

Homebred Amtiyaz (4 c Frankel – Rose Of Miracles) provided all at Blue Diamond Stud with a wonderful day to remember when storming to success in the Copper Horse Handicap on the first day of Royal Ascot.

Amtiyaz was making only his second start on turf for John and Thady Gosden but it made no difference; always handily placed by Hollie Doyle, he swept to the lead at the head of the straight and showed a remarkably resilient attitude to fend off the challengers from all sides.

It was the fourth win for the progressive colt and placed him on a podium of Royal Ascot winners for Blue Diamond Stud that also includes Araafa, winner of the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes, homebred Aljazzi, winner of the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes, and Tariq, winner of the Group 3 Jersey Stakes.

“I am very happy,” Imad Al Sagar said. “The horse could not have got a better ride than what Hollie has done. She timed it well. 

“Amtiyaz is a very genuine horse. You breed a horse and you wait months and years, and it all boils down to two minutes!”

Celebrating her second Royal Ascot winner, Hollie Doyle told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s incredible. Every Royal Ascot winner is special but for it to be for Imad and John Gosden, you can’t get much better than that.

“It’s an amazing performance from Amtiyaz. The big galloping track suited him and brought out improvement.

“It’s lovely to ride for Mr Gosden, he fills you with confidence. We went an even gallop. The pace lifted between the 7f and 6f and I didn’t want to gas him too much to lay up, so I left him alone. He’s got gears so I knew that he would stay and quicken up, and that’s what he did on this quicker ground. He’s only small but he’s a terrier and gives you his all.

“It’s huge for Imad. He’s bred this horse and it’s very special for him.”

Amtiyaz is the first foal out of Rose Of Miracles, a daughter of Dalakhani who was highly rated when in training with William Haggas. She is a half-sister to four winners and related to the mighty champion miler Goldikova.

Later in the month, homebred Nazanin (2 f Declaration Of War – Woodland Scene) emerged as a filly to follow when the impressive winner of her debut at Newbury.

The well-backed daughter of Declaration Of War, who was foaled in Kentucky out of Woodland Scene, a relation to Storm Cat, was always travelling smoothly for Hollie Doyle and only had to be shaken up to score.

The stud’s success also extended to Ireland as Fourhometwo (3 g Ajaya – Missy O’Gwaun), bred by Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar at Blue Diamond Stud, landed a deserved stakes breakthrough at the Curragh on Saturday when successful in the Listed Celebration Stakes.

Making the four-time winner’s victory particularly special is the fact he is from the first crop of our homebred Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes winner Ajaya, bred by Blue Diamond Stud out of Nessina.

He is the fourth living foal out of Missy O’Gwaun, a winning King’s Best sister to Japanese Group 3 winner Cosmo Meadow purchased by Tony Nerses to join the stud in 2012.

Off the track, there was also an exciting development in the appointment of Martin Dwyer as second jockey.

“We are delighted to add Martin Dwyer to our team,” said Imad Al Sagar. “I look forward to working with him and envisage a fruitful partnership.

“Hollie Doyle remains our first jockey. However, the addition of such an experienced and Classic-winning rider such as Martin Dwyer gives us another dimension and adds further support to our team. 

Dwyer, whose big-race wins include the Derby on Sir Percy and Oaks on Casual Look, added: “I am looking forward to riding for Imad Al Sagar and excited to be part of a good team.

“Imad Al Sagar is breeding and racing some lovely horses and it’s exciting to be riding for an owner-breeder at that level – as a jockey, that’s what you strive to do.”

 

Successful July

While Amtiyaz and Nazanin went on to acquit themselves well in better company, when placed at Newmarket’s July meeting and in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot respectively, it was homebred Princess Nadia (3 f Sea The Stars – Princess Noor) who kept the Blue Diamond name in lights by landing a 1m2f novice at Newbury.

The Sea The Stars filly, a daughter of our Princess Margaret Stakes heroine Princess Noor, was never headed under Hollie Doyle to cross the line a length to the good of Country Pyle.

 

Exciting Rizg

August opened with a bang thanks to the exciting win of homebred Rizg (2 c No Nay Never – Azenzar) at Yarmouth.

Always well regarded by Roger Varian, the son of No Nay Never lived up to expectations with a smooth win, showing a bright turn of foot to quicken through horses and overcome the classy Listed-placed Dig Two to win going away. 

“I was really pleased with that,” said Hollie Doyle. “He’s a horse we’ve always liked. I’ve sat on him plenty at home and he’s always shown us the right signs. It’s a big relief for him to be able translate that today.

“The way he travelled and the way he picked up makes me think he’s a classy performer.”

Rizg didn’t run again in 2021 following that performance but hopes are high that he will develop into a quality sprinter as a three-year-old. 

Making Rizg particularly rewarding is the fact he is out of another Blue Diamond homebred in Azenzar, whose earlier winners include classy Hong Kong performer Flagship Glory.

The Blue Diamond homebreds weren’t the only ones to do the stud proud since Masekela (2 c El Kabeir – Lady’s Purse), a rare pinhook by the stud, did his bit by emerging as one of the season’s best two-year-olds. Trained by Andrew Balding, the son of El Kabeir fell only a head short of victory in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes and later backed that up with a win in the Listed Denford Stakes at Newbury at the expense of Bayside Boy, who would go on to win the Group 2 Champagne Stakes.

August was also the month in which Decorated Knight started to make great strides as a stallion, notably via the deeds of Knight Rider, who struck at Thirsk, and Charming Knight, a winner in Denmark.

 

Group 3 glory!

September yielded arguably the highlight of the year for Blue Diamond Stud with the victory of homebred Nazanin (2 f Declaration Of War – Woodland Scene) in the Group 3 Firth Of Clyde Stakes at Ayr.

It was our second winner of the race following that of Shaden, a Kodiac filly bought by Tony Nerses as a yearling, in 2015.

Under an inspired Hollie Doyle and back down to the minimum distance following several creditable runs over 6f, Nazanin broke well and having picked up when asked, bravely ran down the leader Canonized to win going away.

“Nazanin has been taking huge steps forward,” said Hollie Doyle. ”In the Lowther last time the ground was very quick and I felt as though she didn’t let herself down. Today I let her use herself and she’s got through that ground lovely.

“She’s been highly tried on her last two runs so it’s always a bit worrying, you don’t know whether you’re over-facing them but we’ve always know she’s got the ability.”

Meanwhile, momentum for Decorated Knight carried on over into September with the impressive debut victory of his son Damaar (2 c Decorated Knight – Arwa) for Khalid Al-Mudhaf and Mohammed Al-Qatami at Sandown Park.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the well-backed colt made smooth headway down the outside under Robert Havlin to pick up the leaders and win going away.

Havlin was impressed, saying: “He’s done it nicely. He was one of the first ones off the bridle and quickened up well – a little bit better than I expected.”

Damaar’s win was particularly satisfying given that he was bred at Blue Diamond Stud out of Arwa, a winning daughter of Holy Roman Emperor who boasts impeccable bloodlines as a half-sister to the brilliant stayer Order Of St George.

John Gosden has several by Decorated Knight in his care and likes what he sees, going as far as to say: “Damaar, like other Decorated Knights, has shown a great attitude in his training and displayed it well in his race today.”

And by the end of the month, Decorated Knight had another highly promising colt to his resume in Wind Your Neck In, who made all the running to land a novice by a wide-margin under Ryan Moore at Salisbury. 

 

More success for Decorated Knight

Following the earlier exploits of Amtiyaz, it was the turn of his year-younger half-sister Najeeba (3 f Dansili – Rose Of Miracles) to uphold the family tradition come October with a facile success of her own in novice company at Newcastle.

Making only her third start for Roger Charlton, the striking grey made light of a lengthy absence to record an impressive win.

Najeeba stays in training for 2022 – and if she is anything like as progressive as Amtiyaz, then she should be poised for a productive season.

Meanwhile, the Decorated Knight bandwagon rolled on as Wind Your Neck In and Zain Nights scored within days of each other near the end of the month. Wind Your Neck In had looked a stakes horse in the making for David Evans when previously successful at Salisbury but connections subsequently decided to go the nursery route, a decision that the colt vindicated when the impressive winner of a competitive nursery at Newmarket on his final juvenile start.

Then several days later, the Roger Charlton-trained Zain Nights sprang to prominence with an impressive win in a mile novice at Newbury – a race previously won by our high-class homebred Extra Elusive.

The colt was bred at Blue Diamond Stud out of Missy O’Gwaun and therefore a half-brother to Listed winner Fourhometwo.

“It’s always an extra thrill to win with the progeny of horses that you have trained like Decorated Knight, who won three very memorable Group 1 races for Beckhampton,” said Roger Charlton. “His son Zain Nights showed himself like his sire to be tough and talented in winning at Newbury and I’m sure he will progress again next year.

“This horse was very relaxed and Trevor Whelan was very pleased with him. He has a very likeable attitude and when the other horse came to him, he stuck at it well. He’s for a new owner and it’s a nice to have a winner.”

 

A successful first season

At the end of the turf Flat season, Decorated Knight ranked among the top echelon of his peers with a strike-rate of over 70% winners and placed runners from his first crop of runners.

 

 

 

Crucially, a number of them are held in high regard by Timeform, notably:

WIND YOUR NECK IN. Winner of 2 races. TIMEFORM RATED 96p

SILVER BULLET LADY. Winner of her only start. TIMEFORM RATED 82p

ZAIN NIGHTS. Winner of 1 race from 2 starts. TIMEFORM RATED 84p

DAMAAR. Winner of 1 race from 2 starts. TIMEFORM RATED 78+

KNIGHT OF HONOUR. Placed only start. TIMEFORM RATED 89P

 

The future looks very bright for Decorated Knight, especially as he has bigger and better crops in the pipeline to run for him.

 

An outstanding year for the broodmare band

Zotilla, a Zamindar half-sister to Champion Flotilla who joined the stud when purchased for €75,000 in 2019, has a Classic candidate for 2022 to her credit in the top French filly Mangoustine, who capped her unbeaten season with a victory in the Group 3 Prix Miesque at Chantilly. 

Rose Of Miracles enjoyed an excellent year as the dam of Royal Ascot winner Amtiyaz and Newcastle scorer Najeeba, who looks highly promising, while Princess Loulou was represented by Ascot winner Louganini. Princess Loulou’s three-year-old daughter Nashwa, by Frankel, is also highly regarded by John and Thady Gosden and shaped with great promise when third on her debut at Newmarket in October.

Also at the double was Azenzar, whose two-year-old son Rizg looked exciting when successful on his debut at Yarmouth in August. The mare was also represented by the classy Hong Kong performer Flagship Glory (also known as Establish).

Arwa’s stud career, meanwhile, got off to the perfect start when her first runner, the Decorated Knight colt Damaar, scored on debut at Sandown Park in September for John and Thady Gosden. 

Nouriya (dam of Wolverhampton winner Liverpool Knight) and Manasarova (dam of Compiegne winner Sicilian Defense) were also on the scoresheet while former stud resident Missy O’Gwaun enjoyed a good year as the dam of Listed scorer Fourhometwo and promising Newbury novice winner Zain Nights.

Other former BDS mares in the news included Bella Lulu, dam of Windsor winner Faisal and the Listed-placed Gentleman Joe, both of whom were bred at the stud, and Princess Noor, dam of Newbury scorer Princess Nadia in addition to the promising Decorated Knight colt Knight Of Honour.

New Mission (out of Soon), No Recollection (out of Talawat) and Pretty N Proud (out of Paradise Sea) were other winners for Blue Diamond Stud in 2021.

In addition, the pedigree of Tisa River, bought in 2020, also received a significant enhancement through the exploits of her half-sister Santa Barbara, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational and Beverly D Stakes for Aidan O’Brien. Tisa River is also a half-sister to Group 1 winner Iridessa and Order Of Australia, both of whom struck at the Breeders’ Cup.