A plaited lock of hair from the racehorse and stallion Shahrastani.

A plaited lock of hair from the racehorse and stallion Shahrastani,
with a card written in the hand of the collector Ray Goddard confirming he was given the hair by Paul Lake at Michael Stoute's Newmarket stables 14th June 1986.

Provenance: The Ray Goddard Collection (lots 97 to 178). For further information on Ray Goddard and the collection see lot 144.

Shahrastani was a chestnut colt foaled in 1983 by Nijinsky out of Shademah (Thatch). He was bred and raced by H.H. The Aga Khan and trained at Newmarket by Michael Stoute.

Raced only once as a two-year-old, the colt blossomed as a three-year-old winning both the Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby, following two Classic Trial successes at Sandown and the Dante at York. The victory in the Epsom Derby was equally as famous for the defeat of the hot-favourite Dancing Brave following what proved to be a decisive move by jockey Walter Swinburn early in the home straight and opening up an unassailable lead.

At Stud, Shahrastani proved generally disappointing. His biggest influence was perhaps as the damsire of Alamshar, the 2003 Irish Derby and King George winner.