Breeders' Cup Turf Winner Daylami Dies at 29

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Breeders' Cup Turf Winner Daylami Dies at 29
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Daylami wins the 1999 Breeders' Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park

Daylami , one of the truly great grays, has died at the age of 29 at the Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud in Ireland.

Bred by the Aga Khan, and sired by his Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Doyoun, Daylami raced first for Alain de Royer-Dupre, winning the listed Prix Herod as a 2-year-old before finishing second in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (G1).

He would win the French Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at 3 as well as placing in the St. James's Palace Stakes (G1), Jacques le Marois (G1), and Prix du Moulin (G1), before moving to the Godolphin operation and Saeed bin Suroor that winter.

Switching from green to blue silks, Daylami would begin to stretch out over further than a mile, taking the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G2), the Coral Eclipse Stakes (G1), and the Man o' War Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park. 

The sturdy performer, who became a striking white color as he aged, was in his prime for Frankie Dettori as a 5-year-old, recovering from a luckless run in the Dubai World Cup (G1) to claim the Coronation Cup (G1) and taking both the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (G1) and Irish Champion Stakes (G1) with total conviction. 

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Disappointing on heavy ground in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), Daylami would sign off in perfect style in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Gulfstream Park and ended up being both Cartier's European horse of the year and North American male turf champion in 1999.


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A half brother to Arc winner and fine sire Dalakhani, who died in 2021, Daylami stood for the next few years at the Aga Khan's studs in France and Ireland, in a partnership between the two breeding superpowers. He was briefly in South Africa and finished his professional assignments at Coolagown Stud in County Cork.

Daylami had been retired back at Gilltown for the last few years and died from the "infirmities of old age" just a fortnight before his official birthday. 

He will be remembered as a better racehorse than sire but did produce an Irish Derby (G1) winner in Grey Swallow , as well as Voila Ici , who won several group 1s in Italy. 

Daylami's genes are also passed on as broodmare sire of the likes of Australian champion Pierro  and St. Leger (G1) winner Logician . He also sired a champion bumper winner in Silver Concorde.

A statement from the Aga Khan Studs read: "As a stallion, Daylami had enjoyed a happy retirement with the Aga Khan Studs back at his birthplace in Ireland, cared for by his devoted handler Joe Doyle. 

"He will be much missed by all the team and will be commemorated with a memorial at Gilltown Stud."