Early success for Pivotal's son Siyouni

The Aga Khan’s homebred stallion Siyouni, who stands at Haras de Bonneval in Le Mesnil-Mauger,  which is in the Normandy region of France, is off to a phenomenal start with his first crop, two-year-olds of 2014: He has sired two stakes winners and ten winners from 74 foals.

That Siyouni should sire precocious horses is not surprising. The bay son of Pivotal won four of six starts at two, including the Prix La Fleche, a Listed stakes race at Maisons-Lafitte; and the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-Grand Criterium at Longchamp. He also placed second in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin. Although he never won another race after the Grand Criterium in October, Siyouni ran second in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat, Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau, the Group 3 Prix La Rochette, and third in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp-G1 at three.

In all, Siyouni made 12 starts, with four wins, four seconds, and a third, and he acted on good as well as very soft ground. He placed fourth in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, his only start outside of France. Three of his wins came at a distance of 1,000 meters (about five furlongs), with only the Grand Criterium -- at 1,400 meters (seven furlongs) -- longer, and he registered three Group 1 placings at 1,600 meters (eight furlongs).

Siyouni is the first foal out of his dam, the stakes winner Sichilla, winner of the Listed 1,400-meter Prix Amandine. A daughter of Danehill, she is a half-sister to four-time Group 1 winner Slickly (by Linamix) and Grade 2 winner No Slip (Exit to Nowhere). Sichilla is also the dam of Siyouma (by Medicean), who at four won the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newbury in England and the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in Canada; and Siyenica, Listed black-type winner who placed in two Group events, by Azamour.

Siyouni’s top runner is the Aga Khan’s filly Ervedya, who is undefeated in three starts including the 1,200-meter (six-furlong) Group 3 Prix de Cabourg against colts on Sunday, August 3rd. Siyouni’s first stakes winner was Mocklershill, who won the 1,000-meter Prix Yacowlef. A third black-type horse, Lehaim, was third in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin and the Group 3 Prix du Bois.

It is worth noting at this early stage a pattern that is showing signs of success. Siyouni is a great-grandson of Nureyev on his male line (Pivotal-Polar Falcon-Nureyev), and both of his stakes winners have a second cross of Nureyev and a third cross of Nureyev’s Rough Shod family from their dams. Ervedya is out of a King’s Best mare, King’s Best being a son of Kingmambo, whose dam Miesque was a champion by Nureyev; and Mocklershill’s damsire Loup Solitaire was produced from a Nureyev mare. Sadler’s Wells and Lear Fan bring in the third strain of Rough Shod in Ervedya and Mocklershill, respectively.

Three of Siyouni’s other winners have a second cross to Nureyev: Peintre Celebre (by Nureyev) is the broodmare sire of two winners, and Dubai Destination (by Kingmambo) has one.

Siyouni is the sixth son of Pivotal to sire a Group stakes winner. His covering fee has held steady at €7,000 from 2011 to 2014.