Alamshar

He is best known for his performances as a three-year-old when he overcame chronic injury problems to win the Irish Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Even John Oxx admitted that it "wasn't a very spectacular performance", whilst pointing out that the colt was still recovering from a hoof abscess [9] At Epsom he was made 4-1 second favourite for the Derby and put in a creditable effort, finishing a close third to Kris Kin and The Great Gatsby.

[12] Alamshar was then aimed for the Irish Derby in which he was matched against his owner's French-trained colt Dalakhani, the undefeated winner of the Prix du Jockey-Club.

Shortly before the race Alamshar seemed most unlikely to take part, as back problems affected him so badly that he "couldn't walk straight", and his condition only improved after he was treated by a chiropractor.

[13] The two Aga Khan colts dominated both the betting and the finish of the race with Alamshar gaining a narrow, but decisive victory to inflict Dalakhani's first and only career defeat.

In the words of Johnny Murtagh, "he came alive in my hands", after tracking the leaders into the straight and pulled away to win by three and a half lengths from Sulamani, with Kris Kin third and top performers such as Falbrav, Warrsan, Grandera, Nayef, Millenary and Bollin Eric among the also-rans.

Oxx ruled out the idea of aiming the colt at the Breeders' Cup Classic saying "I am not one of these people who like to take wild chances with good horses and run them on dirt.

"[16] He ran well in the Irish Champion Stakes but was unable to produce the same acceleration he had shown at Ascot, finishing fourth behind High Chaparral, Falbrav and Islington.

[17] There had been hopes that Alamshar would stay in training as a four-year-old, but in October, it was announced that he had been sold to the JRA and that the Champion Stakes at Newmarket would be his final race before going to stud in Japan.