Zarak

THE OLD ADAGE “breed the best to the best and hope for the best” could have been written with Zarak in mind. A son of the most successful stallion to ever stand in Britain and an unbeaten, champion racemare, Zarak became a Group 1 winner on the track for his parents Dubawi and Zarkava.

Another triumph for the breeding policy of HH The Aga Khan, Zarak is one of 42 individual Group 1 winners by Darley’s flagship stallion Dubawi and the first runner and winner out of Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Prix de Diane, Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, Prix Vermeille and Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Zarkava, who was Europe’s Horse of the Year after her stellar three-year-old season.

Winner of his maiden over a mile on his only start as a two-yearold, he was a top-class performer over 1m2f and 1m4f at three and four, finishing second to Almanzor, another champion from Aga Khan bloodlines, in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club and the Prix Guillaume Ornano (G2).

He finished less than 3l behind Vadamos when fourth in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin over a mile and was a fitting winner of the Group 3 Dubai Millennium Stakes over 1m2f at Meydan on his seasonal reappearance as a four-year-old.

Fourth in the Dubai Turf (G1) on Meydan’s Dubai World Cup Card, he finished a very close second to Cloth Of Stars in the Group 1 Prix Ganay and broke through that glass ceiling in the 1m4f Grand Prix de Saint Cloud (G1), beating a field that included Group 1 winners Hawkbill, Silverwave and My Dream Boat.

Zarak is a half-brother to Zarkamiya (Frankel), who won the Listed Prix de Thiberville and was third in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille.

Their dam Zarkava has produced four winners with her first four runners and is a Zamindar half-sister to the Group 3 Prix Minerve winner and Group 2 Prix de Royallieu third Zarshana.

His second dam Zarkasha is by the Aga Khan’s Derby winner Kahyasi and was unraced. She is a half-sister to Zarkiya, a daughter of Catrail, and winner of the Group 3 Prix de Sandringham.

Third dam Zarkana is a daughter of Doyoun and a half-sister to Listed Prix Amandine winner Zarannda (Last Tycoon). It is a maternal lineage of enormous significance, tracing back all the way to Mumtaz Mahal.

In his first season at the Aga Khan’s Haras de Bonneval, Zarak covered 134 mares with the expected strong support of his owner-breeder’s regal broodmare band, alongside breeders such as Haras du Berlais, Times of Wigan and Haras du Cadran.

His first book of mares included Balankiyla, a Montjeu half-sister to the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes winner Bayrir, who has a yearling filly by Zarak.

Shamooda, an Azamour half-sister to Group 3 Prix Allex France winner Shemima out of the Group 1 Prix de Diane winner Shemaka, produced a colt by Zarak in 2019, while the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay winner and Group 1 Prix Royal Oak third Shankardeh has a yearling colt.

Nine foals from Zarak’s first crop were offered for sale last year with seven of them selling for an average of €17,341.

The highest price given was €50,000 for the first foal of the New Approach mare Belle Above All, an unraced half-sister to the Grade 3 Long Island Handicap winner Dalvina and the Listed winner Soft Centre, dam of Group 1 Nassau Stakes winner Sultanina, a daughter of New Approach. The colt, who was consigned by Stephen Kemble on behalf of Highgate Stud, was purchased at Goffs November by Blue Sky Bloodstock.

Al Eile Stud’s filly out of Myrine, a Sadler’s Wells half-sister to the Arc winner Sagamix, the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Sagacity, Sage Et Jolie, the Group 2-winning dam of Group 1 Prix d’Isphan winner and sire Sageburg, and Shastye, the dam of 2019’s Grand Prix de Paris winner Japan, was bought by Springfield House Stud for €20,000, also at Goffs.

His most expensive foal in France was a daughter of Wild Blossom, a winning Areion half-sister to the Listed winner Wilder Wein, who made €20,000 to Guy Petit at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, sold by La Motteraye Consignment.

Racing Form

13 runs, four wins, six places | Best Timeform Rating: 124 | Average winning distance: 9.50f

Stakes form

AT 3 Second in Prix du Jockey Club, Chantilly, Gr.1, (to Almanzor (FR)), Prix Guillaume d’Ornano-Logis St Germain, Deauville, Gr.2, (to Almanzor (FR)), third in Qatar Prix Dollar, Chantilly, Gr.2, (to Potemkin (GER)).

AT 4 Won Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Saint-Cloud, Gr.1, (12f. beating Silverwave (FR) and Armande (IRE)), Wheels Dubai Millennium Stakes, Meydan, Gr.3, (10f. beating Earnshaw (USA) and Promising Run (USA)), second in Prix Ganay, Saint-Cloud, Gr.1, (to Cloth of Stars (IRE)).