After winning six from eight for Jean-Claude Rouge in France carrying the colours of the Aga Khan, Eliyass (Fr) is now two for two in Australia for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Sporting the colours of Seymour Bloodstock, the 6-year-old son of Le Havre (IRE) backed up his win in the Listed ATC Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m) at Randwick with a tough staying performance in Saturday’s Group III National Jockeys Trust Premier’s Cup (2000m) at Rosehill.
After sweeping to the front at the 300m under Tim Clark, Eliyass (FR) came under attack late from Touristic (GB) but held the son of Frankel by a half-length with Super Strike (Super Easy) two and a half lengths back in third.
“He was vulnerable there at the furlong when challenged, but those good horses, that's what separates them,” Adrian Bott said.
“He dug deep, and he found plenty there. So I'm sure there's good improvement off the back of that.
“ I think that that run will really top him off.
“He's on a Metropolitan path, and I think he'll be better suited when he gets over that little bit further. So there's a couple of nice options coming up for him, but I think he's right on track.
“He might have a month between runs now, running 2000m in a month (Kingston Town Stakes), and that'll be his main lead-up for the Metropolitan.”
A Listed stakes-winner in France, Eliyass (FR) advances his record to eight wins and two seconds from ten starts with earnings of $428,732.
Aga Khan Stud offered the son of French Derby winner Le Havre (Noverre) at the Arqana Arc Sale for horses in training with Astute Bloodstock having the final say at €330,000.
Eliyass is the best of three winners from Edilisa, a winning half-sister by Azamour to Group III winner Edelmira, a grand-daughter of stakes-winning blue hen Ebaziya, the dam of four Group I winners Enzeli, Estimate, Ebadiyla and Edabiya and the granddam of multiple Group 1 winner and Group 1 placed Eziwyra (Teofilo), the dam of the Aga Khan’s 2024 Epsom Oaks winner Ezeliya.
