French Group One Prix d’Ispahan to be renamed Prix Aga Khan IV

France Galop has announced that the Prix d’Ispahan has been renamed the Prix Aga Khan IV.

The Group One over the unusual distance of nine furlongs was won last year by Andre Fabre’s Sosie, who subsequently went on to win the Hong Kong Vase.

Guillaume de Saint-Seine, president of France Galop, said: “It was the wish of France Galop, in consultation with the Aga Khan family, that one of the Group One races in the French racing calendar, the Prix d’Ispahan, should now bear the name of the late His Highness the Aga Khan IV, so the racing world will remember this remarkable figure.

“His impact on racing and breeding has been immense and this prestigious race will preserve his memory for years to come.”

The famous green and red colours have been carried to victory six times in the race by Jour et Nuit III (1964), Silver Shark (1966), Zeddaan (1968), Sendawar (2000), Valixir (2005) and Sageburg (2008).

Princess Zahra Aga Khan said: “My family and I are very honoured by the initiative of France Galop. Renaming the Prix d’Ispahan the Prix Aga Khan IV will be a fitting and lasting tribute to his memory, as well as to his lifelong dedication to breeding and racing in France.

“It is all the more symbolic that this honour is associated with a race my father won six times and which therefore holds a unique place in the history of the Aga Khan breeding operation.”