Alamshar

Alamshar made in his debut in September 2002 with a comfortable win in a maiden race at Listowel. He was obviously well-regarded, as he was immediately moved up to Group Three company for the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh the following month. He showed himself to be a promising colt by finishing strongly to catch the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Brian Boru close to the finish and win by a head.[4]

The form of the race was made to look even better when Brian Boru won the Group One Racing Post Trophy two weeks later to become winter favourite for the Derby, a race for which Alamshar had not been entered.

Before he raced as a three-year-old, Alamshar's connections demonstrated their confidence in the colt by paying a £9,000 supplementary charge to add him to the entries for the Derby, and he appeared in the betting for the race at 14–1.[5]

Alamshar's 2003 debut in the Ballysax Stakes was rather unsatisfactory. The race was expected to be a contest between Alamshar and the Aidan O'Brien-trained Alberto Giacometti, with a second O'Brien colt, Balestrini regarded as a pacemaker. Balestrini, however, having gone ten lengths clear, did not stop as expected. Alamshar finished strongly, but failed by half a length to catch the leader. His impressive performance in making up so much ground in the closing stages, led to Alamshar being made the new favourite for the Derby.[6]

In the build-up to the Derby it was noted that Alamshar occupied the same stable box as the trainer's previous winner Sinndar, although Oxx insisted that it was a coincidence.[7]

On his next appearance Alamshar was sent off at odds-on for the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial and won by a head from The Great Gatsby.[8] The win produced a mixed response; while the Alamshar had shown stamina and "courage", he was not particularly impressive. 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]

Aga Khan's second racing colours, worn by Johnny Murtagh at the Curragh. The first colours were worn by Christophe Soumillon on Dalakhani.

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.[10] There were no excuses, with Johnny Murtagh saying that Alamshar "had every chance" [11] although Oxx observed that "horses improve from the Derby".[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. The win was popular as Alamshar was the locally trained contender, a point emphasised by Murtagh: "Dalakhani... may be the king of France but he's on our turf now".[14]

Four weeks later in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Alamshar looked even better. 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. The Guardian's correspondent called the race "one of the strongest renewals of the King George for many years" and wrote that "Alamshar simply took them apart".[15] Oxx expressed his satisfaction, describing it as "a no-worries race", whilst explaining that the horse's back problems had required "a lot of work".[1]

It might have been expected that Alamshar would have been aimed at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but with that race being targeted by Dalakhani, he was instead brought back to shorter distances, over which he was unable to reproduce his summer form. 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.[18]

At Newmarket he led at half way but was overtaken by Rakti two furlongs from the finish and faded into a disappointing sixth place.[19]