What’s in a name?

[Drone]

The Aga Khan’s horses invariably have ‘nice’ names; ones that roll off the tongue and are pleasing on the ear. His winners on Sunday being four recent examples:

Rosanara
Siyouni
Shalanaya
Alandi

In addition to – off the top of my head – such as:

Shergar
Darshaan
Lashkari
Zarkava
Akiyda
Dalakhani
Sinndar
Aliysa
Shahrastani
Azamour
Linngari

Anyone know if they refer to a specific person/object/place back in ancestral Ismaili Persia, or wherever?

Or are they simply plucked from thin air by an individual (HH himself?) with a little bit of poetry in his heart?

They’re certainly more pleasant and distinctive than the Arabic ones generally chosen for the Sheikh Hamdan horses.[/color:2u28creh]

[tbracing]

I see Normandie Stud go through a similair approach in naming thier horses.

Though, Duncan, Walter, Samuel, Rachel and Deirdre don’t quite have the same anesthetic ring to them.

Only a matter of time before they call one Dave!

[Friggo]

All I know about the Aga Khan’s naming policy is that members of the same family are all given names beginning with the same letter. Have a look through the distaff side of Zarkava’s pedigree for a good example.

[Author]

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