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| Staff Writer |
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The Aga Khan Studs are pleased to announce that Francis-Henri Graffard will take over the training of the horses based at His Highness the Aga Khan’s private training centre at Aiglemont situated in Gouvieux, following the retirement of Alain de Royer Dupré at the end of 2021.
Aiglemont is home to 80 to 90 Aga Khan bred horses and champions such as Zarkava, Dalakhani And Siyouni were all trained from these stables.
After completing the Godolphin Flying Start and four years spent at the Darley Racing Office, Graffard became an assistant to Alain de Royer Dupré. He took out his trainer’s license in 2011 and over the past 10 years, he has risen through the rankings to become one of the established top French trainers. His most notable achievements include victories at the highest level with Erupt, Bateel, Channel, Watch Me, In Swoop, Wooded, and The Revenant. Graffard was sent a handful of Aga Khan yearlings at the end of 2019.
Alain de Royer Dupré started training Aga Khan horses in the French provinces and took over from François Mathet at Aiglemont upon his passing in 1983. He recorded his first successes at the highest level that year with Masarika in the Prix Robert Papin and Sharaya in the Prix Vermeille. Alain de Royer Dupré has won a total of 77 Gr.1 races for the silks of His Highness and Princess Zahra Aga Khan, including seven Poules d’Essais and Prix Vermeille, six Prix de Diane and Prix Saint Alary, five Prix du Jockey Club and two Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Francis-Henri Graffard will continue to operate his own stable in Chantilly in addition to his new role at Aiglemont. The Aga Khan Studs will continue to work in close collaboration with their existing base of trainers, which includes Mikel Delzangles and Jean-Claude Rouget in France, as well as Dermot Weld, Michael Halford, and Johnny Murtagh in Ireland.