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Decorated Knight wins the Irish Champion Stakes

Martin Stevens of the Racing Post caught up with Tony Nerses to discuss Decorated Knight’s first book of mares.

From the Racing Post, December 15 2017:

“Blue Diamond Stud is standing foursquare behind its homebred multiple Group 1 winner Decorated Knight as he starts his stallion career at the Irish National Stud.

“The operation, owned by Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar and overseen by Tony Nerses, will send a large number of its blue-chip broodmares to the son of Galileo, who landed the Jebel Hatta, Tattersalls Gold Cup and Irish Champion Stakes this year.

“Notably, Decorated Knight has been selected as the first sire to cover Blue Diamond’s classy filly Dawn Of Hope, a Listed-winning daughter of Mastercraftsman who signed off her career with a close fifth to Roly Poly in the Sun Chariot Stakes in October.

“Further high-achievers on the track bound for the stallion are Lady Wingshot, a Group 3 winner by Lawman who is in foal to Dubawi, and Firth of Clyde Stakes scorer Shaden, a daughter of Kodiac carrying her first foal after being covered by Dark Angel in February.

“Among the other Blue Diamond mares in Decorated Knight’s first book are Maid To Master, a sister to Mastercraftsman bought by Nerses for 900,000gns in 2014; Nouriya, the Listed-winning dam of this season’s impressive Atalanta Stakes scorer Aljazzi; and Rose Of Miracles, a Dalakhani mare out of a half-sister to Galikova and Goldikova added to the string at a cost of 450,000gns.”

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Dawn Of Hope

Winner of this year’s Irish Champion Stakes, Tattersalls Gold Cup and Jebel Hatta, Decorated Knight was bred by Blue Diamond Stud out of Pearling, a sister to champion sire Giant’s Causeway and from the further family of Dansili.

The son of Galileo is standing his first season at the Irish National Stud at a fee of €15,000.

“To have a Group 1 winner is the dream of every owner, but nothing comes close to the thrill of having a homebred multiple Group 1 winner,” said Tony Nerses.

“That is certainly on a par with our two Classic winners.

“With his exceptional looks, performance, breathtaking acceleration and one of the best pedigrees in the studbook, Decorated Knight’s future as a stallion looks incredibly bright.”