Blue-blooded Almighwar to join Garryrichard Stud in Wexford

The regally bred Almighwar, a son of Dubawi and the champion Taghrooda, will begin his stallion career at Garryrichard Stud in County Wexford for the upcoming season in a deal brokered by Luke Lillingston.

Bred by Shadwell Estates out of the Oaks and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner by Sea The Stars, the five-year-old hails from an outstanding Aga Khan family.

His second dam Ezima is by Sadler's Wells and won three Listed contests including the Saval Beg Stakes. She is out of a Darshaan sister to Ebaziya, who is the dam of four individual Group 1 winners including the Queen's Ascot Gold Cup heroine Estimate.

Almighwar is the second foal out of Taghrooda, who also finished third to Treve in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and was trained by John Gosden to win his first two starts at three, both over a mile and a half.

He remained in training at four, when he was second in two of his three starts and earned a peak Racing Post Rating of 108. Israr, his three-year-old half-brother, was a winner for the same connections last season.

Taghrooda has a two-year-old brother to Almighwar named Takeed and a yearling filly by Kingman.

Dubawi's sons are making their mark as Flat stallions but Dubawi himself is the sire of Dodging Bullets, whose Grade 1 victories included the 2015 Champion Chase, and Dermot Weld's dual Grade 1-winning juvenile hurdler Hisaabaat.

Sea The Moon, who is by Almighwar's broodmare sire Sea The Stars, has already supplied the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices' Chase winner Allmankind and Tritonic, winner of the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle last season for Alan King.

Angus Gold, racing manager for Shadwell, said: “As well as being a beautifully bred horse, Almighwar is a very good looking horse with a tremendous temperament; he showed above average ability and was very consistent, and I'm sure he will breed good looking stock.”

Almighwar will stand for a fee of €1,500 alongside the Grade 1 Canadian International winner Hillstar, whose first crop are now five and have made an impressive start, at the Hickey family's County Wexford stud.

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