The internationally prominent Thoroughbred owner and breeder Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, known as the Aga Khan IV, died Feb. 4 at age 88 in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Aga Khan was the spiritual leader of the world’s Ismaili Muslims. According to the Associated Press, his successor in that role, which is chosen from male progeny or other relatives, was designated in his will, which will be read to his family and religious leaders in Lisbon before being made public. The Aga Khan is survived by three sons, a daughter, and several grandchildren.
According to the Aga Khan Studs website, his daughter, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, has been actively involved in the Thoroughbred operation since the 1990s and currently leads its management team. Aga Khan Studs comprises thousands of acres across farms in France and Ireland, as well as a famous broodmare band that originated in the 1920s. The Aga Khan IV took over the operation from his grandfather in 1960.
“His Highness the Aga Khan was aged 23 in 1960 when he assumed leadership of the racing and breeding operation established by his grandfather in 1921, continuing a great family tradition of horsemanship,” the stable said in a press release. “Thanks to his vision, direction, and dedication, the Aga Khan Studs has grown to become one of the most prolific owner-breeders of racehorses in Europe. He has left an indelible mark on the global equestrian community, with a legacy of excellence that will continue to inspire generations to come.”
A champion owner in France and Britain, the Aga Khan was known for campaigning a number of European classic winners, including the star-crossed 1981 Epsom and Irish Derby winner Shergar, whose kidnapping case was never solved.
The Aga Khan raced additional Epsom and Irish Derby winners Shahrastani (1986), Kahyasi (1988), Sinndar (2000), Alamshar (2003), and Harzand (2016), as well as French Derby winners Charlottesville (1960), Top Ville (1979), Darshaan (1984), Mouktar (1985), Natroun (1987), Dalakhani (2003), Darsi (2006), and Vadeni (2022).
Sinndar and Dalakhani both went on to capture the famed Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The Aga Khan’s other victories in that race came with Akiyda (1982) and Zarkava (2008). Dalakhani and the unbeaten Zarkava were both honored as Cartier European Horse of the Year.
The Aga Khan was an early supporter of the Breeders’ Cup, and his homebred Lashkari won the inaugural Turf in 1984 at Hollywood Park. Aga Khan homebreds won two other editions of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, with Kalanisi prevailing in 2000 at Churchill Downs and Tarnawa winning in 2020 at Keeneland. Kalanisi was honored with an Eclipse Award in 2000 as outstanding turf male.
The Aga Khan also bred and sold the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Turf and Eclipse Award winner Daylami to Godolphin. That leading stable was among a number of major racing entities that paid tribute to the Aga Khan as word of his death spread.
“It’s very difficult to overplay the impact of the Aga Khan in racing, and we have lost a true icon of the sport,” said Hugh Anderson, Godolphin’s managing director in the UK and Dubai. “The success he enjoyed as an owner-breeder proved a great motivation to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, and racing played an important role in their enduring friendship.”
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