Cirrus des Aigles

Cirrus des Aigles
Cirrus des Aigles (left) with 2009 Hong Kong Vase Winner Daryakana in Sha Tin Racecourse.
Sire	Even Top
Grandsire	Topanoora
Dam	Taille de Guepe
Damsire	Septieme Ciel
Sex	Gelding
Foaled	8 May 2006
Country	France
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Yvon Lelimouzin & Benoit Deschamps
Owner	Jean-Claude-Alain Dupouy
Trainer	Corine Barande-Barbe
Record	67: 22-20-6
Earnings	£6,179,490
Major wins
Prix du Prince d'Orange (2009) Prix du Conseil de Paris (2009) Prix Dollar (2010, 2012, 2013) La Coupe (2011) Grand Prix de Vichy (2011) Prix Gontaut-Biron (2011) Grand Prix de Deauville (2011) Champion Stakes (2011) Dubai Sheema Classic (2012) Prix Ganay (2012, 2014, 2015) La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte (2013) Prix d'Ispahan (2014) Coronation Cup (2014)
Awards
European Champion Older Horse (2011)
Last updated on 8 August 2012

Cirrus des Aigles (foaled 8 May 2006) is a retired French Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from October 2008 until December 2015 he has raced France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. After racing successfully at three and four years of age he improved to become one of the world's leading racehorses as a five-year-old in 2011. His achievements were recognised when he was awarded the title of European Champion Older Horse at the Cartier Racing Awards.

Cirrus des Aigles' Group One wins have included the Champion Stakes in 2011, the Dubai Sheema Classic in 2012, the Prix d'Ispahan and the Coronation Cup in 2014 and a record three wins in Prix Ganay. Other major successes have included three wins in the Prix Dollar as well as victories in the Prix du Prince d'Orange, Prix du Conseil de Paris, Grand Prix de Vichy, Prix Gontaut-Biron, Grand Prix de Deauville and La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte.

On 28 March it was announced that Cirrus Des Aigles had been retired.

Cirrus des Aigles is a bay gelding bred in France by Yvon Lelimouzin & Benoit Deschamps. He was sired by the Irish-bred stallion Even Top, a descendant of the Byerley Turk, whose most notable racecourse performance came when he was beaten a short head by Mark of Esteem in the 1996 2000 Guineas. He is best known as a sire of National Hunt horses, with Cirrus des Aigles being by far his best flat runner. Cirrus des Aigles' dam, Taille de Guepe ("Wasp's Waist") was distantly related to the notable American performers Omar Khayyam and Aloma's Ruler, but was too slow to race and was given as a present by her trainer Elie Lellouche to Lelimouzin, who supervised the Chantilly training ground known as "Les Aigles" (the Eagles).