Sharestan takes the Doonside Cup

Sharestan, making his first start for 175 days, readily landed his third career Stakes victory on Saturday September 21 when taking the Listed Doonside Cup at Ayr.  Having won a brace of Listed races in 2012, he performed with credit in Dubai at the start of the year, winning his first start by four lengths before an excellent third in the G2 Al Rashidiya. With today's victory he has now won half of his 12 career starts.

Bred by HH The Aga Khan, Sharestan hails from the family of Shahrastani and is out of the winning Ashkalani mare Sharesha, who has already produced the G3-winning filly Shareen.

Shamardal is now the sire of 14 Stakes winners this year including a pair of G1-winners in Dan Excel and Maybe Discreet, the highly-rated G2-winner Mukhadram, the Irish-bred Puissance de Lune who has won two G2's in Australia and is favourite for the Melbourne Cup and the progressive juvenile filly Ihtimal, who won the G2 May Hill Stakes on her last start and heads to Newmarket for the G1 Fillies' Mile this Friday.