Estidhkaar a Group 2-winning son of Dark Angel

ESTIDHKAAR (IRE) - 2012 bay colt

A late addition to the list of new sires for 2017, former leading juvenile Estidhkaar is to join the team at Tara Stud in Co Meath.

Another high-class son of leading sire Dark Angel (by Acclamation), he is a half-brother to the juvenile champion Toormore, who begins his second career at Dalham Hall Stud, and it will be interesting to compare the stallion careers of the two siblings.​

Estidhkaar was trained by Richard Hannon, he won an extended six-furlong maiden at Newbury in mid-June of his two-year-old season and followed that with a wide-margin success in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes over seven at Newmarket, beating Aktabantay by four and a half lengths.

He then beat War Envoy by one and a quarter lengths in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, was favourite when only fourth to Belardo in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes, and he was beaten by just a neck when runner-up to the subsequent sprint champion Muhaarar in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes on his seasonal reappearance at three.

Estidhkaar was unplaced behind Gleneagles in the Group 1 2000 Guineas and behind Esoterique in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois, and was then off the track for 14 months before being runner-up to Crazy Horse in a seven furlong conditions event at Salisbury. On his final start, he beat Kool Kompany by a neck in the Listed Ben Marshall Stakes over a mile on fast ground at Newmarket.

As noted above, Estidhkaar is a half-brother to the Group 1 winner and juvenile champion Toormore (by Arakan). The pair are out of the unraced mare Danetime Out (by Danetime), who is a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Easaar (by Machiavellian), and their grandam, Matila (by Persian Bold), is a winning daughter of the Group 3 Curragh Stakes winner Peace Girl (by Dominion).

That mare, who was the joint champion juvenile filly in Ireland in 1987, is the grandam of the Group 3 Jockey Club Cup scorer Hawridge Prince (by Polar Falcon), of Listed Heron Stakes winner Hero's Journey (by Halling) and of several who have been blacktype placed, and she was a half-sister to the Group 3 Norfolk Stakes runner-up and prolific winner Runaway (by Godswalk).​

There are plenty of other talented horses to be found in the family, including the Group 2-placed stakes-winning juvenile Pool Music (by Forzando), Grade 2-winning miler Mr Napper Tandy (by Bahamian Bounty), Group 2 winner and Group 1 Champion Stakes runner-up Insatiable (by Don't Forget Me), and Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Seazun (by Zieten), but those horses are remotely connected to Estidhkaar.

ESTIDHKAAR (IRE) – b.2012 – Dark Angel – Danetime Out, 4 wins inc Champagne Stakes (Gr2), Superlative Stakes (Gr2), Ben Marshall Stakes (L), 2nd Greenham Stakes (Gr3). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2018.​