Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and carrying the colours of the Aga Khan, Vadeni was among the leading three-year-olds in Europe in 2022 when his wins included the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly and G1 Eclipse S. at Sandown. He also filled the runner-up spot behind Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on his final start of the campaign.

Vadeni is set to receive 10 mares from the Aga Khan Studs in his debut season, including Candara (Fr) (Barathea {Ire}), the dam of the Group 1-placed Candarliya (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), as well as the Group 1 winners Ridasiyna (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) and Shareta (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}).

G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein winner Erevann is also set to receive 10 mares from the homebred broodmare band, including the G1 Hong Kong Vase winner Daryakana (Fr) (Selkirk), already the dam of the G1 Prix Ganay winner Dariyan (Fr), who has moved from Haras de Bonneval to Haras du Mont Goubert for 2024.

Over in Ireland, Capital Stud announced on Wednesday that new recruits Castle Star (Ire) and Authorized (Ire) have also had their first mares confirmed in foal.

“We're delighted with how Castle Star has been received and he is proving exceptionally fertile,” Capital Stud's Ger O'Neill said of the G3 Marble Hill S. winner.

“Fast sons of Starspangledbanner at stud are a scarce commodity and one of the few others there has been, The Wow Signal, only sired a handful of foals but managed to get a Classic winner in Coeursamba among them. We're very excited about Castle Star, providing access to the Danehill line which is becoming more and more scarce, and we think he offers tremendous value standing at €5,000.”

Derby winner Authorized–who is perhaps best known as the sire of Tiger Roll (Ire), one of the most famous jumps horses of the modern era–is also reported to have taken everything in his stride as he stands his first season at Capital Stud in 2024, having arrived from Turkey in January.

O'Neill added, “Authorized has settled in great here at Capital Stud. He's a very quiet horse and is lovely to deal with. We had been told he's slow in the shed, and it's taking him about an hour to cover one mare, but he's doing it well. He's getting his mares in foal, that's the most important thing.”

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Siyouni stands for a second consecutive season for €140,000 at the Aga Khan's Haras de Bonneval, and his 2022 book also includes Bob Scarborough's Cabaret (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of Siyouni's 2021 Horse of the Year and dual Classic winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr).

Other Aga Khan homebred Group 1 performers or producers booked to Siyouni this season include the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic victress Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}), whose first two foals are stakes performers; Ebiyza (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), the dam of high-class fillies Edisa (Kitten's Joy) and Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor); and the maiden mare Sagamiyra (Fr) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who won the G3 Prix du Pin last year and was second to Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Rothschild.

Outside breeders supporting Siyouni include Wertheimer et Frere, George Strawbridge and Kirsten Rausing, who will collectively send Group 1 winners Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}), Galikova (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Madame Chiang (GB) (Archipenko). Juddmonte will send the dams of Group 1 winners Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) and Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Dansili {GB}).

Siyouni's 2022 book also includes sisters to Group 1 winners Japan (GB), Mogul (GB), Secret Gesture (GB), Lope De Vega (Ire), Zelzal (Fr), Timepiece (GB), Passage Of Time (GB), Sacred Life (Fr) and National Defense (GB), as well as the dams of Group 1 winners A Raving Beauty (Ger) and Wings Of Eagles (Fr).

Among the mares due to foal to Siyouni this season are Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of Siyouni's Arc and Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass (Fr); Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed Eziyra (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}); Group 1 winners Kitesurf (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}) and Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), and Venetia's Dream (Ire), the dam of G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Dream And Do (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}).

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Having kicked off at dawn from Chantilly, with bloodstock agent Tina Rau behind the wheel and her pair of dogs on the back seat, we arrived at 9 a.m. sharp for the first show at Haras de Bouquetot, having duly given the four-legged companions a little walk beforehand. They call it German precision.

Bouquetot is still to celebrate its first decade of operation, and yet it has been one of France's fastest-growing stallion stations with eight sires currently on the roster. All of them, bar the fresh arrival Armor (GB) (No Nay Never), are Group 1 winners, and two share the distinctive feat of having landed one of Europe's most competitive mile contest in the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois. The first crop by Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead) included 15 winners at two and already two at three, including recent debut winner Hauran (Fr). Such a promising start has caused his fee to swing back to its initial level of €8,000.

Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who annexed the Marois on the back of a Classic triumph in the Irish 2000 Guineas, is still to have his first foal on the ground but he was the busiest stallion at Bouquetot last year with 127 mares. His starting fee of €7,000 has been maintained and seems excellent value, as Al Shaqab Racing's Sebastien Desmontils explained.

“Romanised is still owned 100% by Mr. Ng who raced him,” he said. “When stud plans were arranged, we offered him to syndicate the horse, arguing that it would guarantee him significant support. Mr. Ng, however, was keen to remain Romanised's sole owner but he suggested that we gave him a very affordable covering fee in order to make him an attractive proposition to breeders.”

Another stallion expecting his first foals is Wooded (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who ended a long drought for France when winning the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye. He joined Almanzor (Fr) as the second son of Wootton Bassett to stand at stud in this country and, at €15,000, is the joint highest-priced sire at Bouquetot. He shares top billing with the eye-catching Zelzal (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was one of the sensations of 2021, notably through the achievements of his listed-winning daughter Zelda (Fr). He also boasts a 92% fertility rate and has seen his fee more than double from €6,000.

The latest addition to the Bouquetot roster is Richard Hannon's former charge Armor (GB) (No Nay Never), who won last year's G3 Molecomb S. and ran third in the Middle Park. Still two months from his actual third birthday, the dark bay will be offered at €5,000.

“The plan is to try to replicate the success story that Al Shaqab has experienced with Mehmas. French breeders are always looking for speed and precocity, so we think he is a great proposition,” said Desmontils.

A little deeper into the Norman countryside, Haras de Bonneval is busy celebrating the 100th anniversary of His Highness the Aga Khan's breeding operation. (Click for Emma and John Berry's excellent three-part feature: Part I, Part II, and Part III.) And could there be a better advertisement than the excellent performances achieved by Zarak (Fr)'s first 2-year-olds? After all, the powerful bay traces back, through his illustrious dam Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar), to Zahra (Ire) (Habitat), the sole daughter out of the champion Petite Etoile (GB) (Petition {GB}), herself a descendant of the “flying filly” Mumtaz Mahal (GB). One hundred years of breeding excellence summed up in one pedigree.

A son of Dubawi (Ire), Zarak has so far been represented by 18 2-year-old winners, the exact same number as his barn mate Siyouni (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}) achieved with his first crop. And his best offspring to date is the G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Times Square (Fr), who is, fittingly, out of a daughter of Siyouni. Such eye-catching results have had a major impact on the stallion's worth and he now commands a covering fee of €25,000, doubled from his €12,000 starting price.

“There has been huge interest in Zarak,” explained nominations manager Fanny Cyprès. “He has covered a full book every season, and for 2022 he has been full since last October. Mares are coming from Germany, from Ireland and from the UK for him. His value has increased quite dramatically, as shown by the evolution of his share price: when we syndicated him, a share cost €60,000, while at recent auctions on Arqana Online, shares sold for €350,000 to €380,000.”

Full credit where it's due: the now 15-year-old Siyouni remains France's most expensive stallion at €140,000 and is expecting another stellar crop of foals including full-siblings to Sottsass (Fr) and Dream And Do (Ire), as well as youngsters out of Group 1 winners Watch Me (Fr) (Olympic Glory {Ire}), Kitesurf (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and stakes winner Zarkamiya (Fr) (Frankel {GB}).

Cyprès added, “We have seen with Times Square that Siyouni is starting to make his mark as a broodmare sire, and we think he can follow in the footsteps of his own sire Pivotal in this respect.”

Larissa Kneip's Haras de Saint-Arnoult is steadily making a name as a source of affordable speed, and she currently has six stallions who all performed over middle to short distances. The good-looking Elarqam (GB) (Frankel {GB}) currently stands out as the sole son of Frankel at stud in France. The Group 2 winner will have his first foals on the ground this season and remains available at an attractive €5,000. The first crop by Seabhac (Scat Daddy) are now 2-year-olds, while Group 1-winning juvenile Mkfancy (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) is the newest recruit.

Only minutes away, Julian Ince's Haras du Logis is home to an impressive line-up of former Godolphin colourbearers, with the notable exception of the infamous globetrotter Tiberian (Fr) (Tiberius Caesar {Fr} ). For the coming season there has been another extremely classy addition to the roster in the dual Group 1 and Classic winner Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal). The handsome bay boasts a special pedigree as he is not only by 'sire of sires' Shamardal, but also from the family of Shamardal–he is inbred 3×3 to Helen Street. Victor Ludorum's placid demeanour and solid constitution guarantee him strong support at €15,000. Another popular young sire is Cloth Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), whose first yearlings sold extremely well and whose fee remains unchanged at €7,000.

Leaving Calvados for the Orne area, we reach Haras du Petit Tellier. Patrick Chédeville's historical farm stands the dual Classic winner The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Masterscraftsman {Ire}), whose first crop already includes six winners and made him one of the 'talking horses' of the winter.

Driving back to Deauville, one notices a sign indicating where the Greenwich meridian crosses through Normandy. Indeed, this part of France should effectively follow the GMT schedule, and it is no wonder days are so dramatically short at this time of year, which make the Route des Etalons an inevitable rush as breeders try and see as many stallions as possible in a limited amount of time. It is a real shame to have to give the likes of Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), Le Havre (Ire) (Noverre), Galiway (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) or Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) a miss, and only minor solace comes from the existence of online stallion books.

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Zarak did his best running at four when he won the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud over 2400 metres for trainer Alain de Royer Dupre, and therefore his first 2-year-olds in 2021 could have been somewhat forgiven should they have required time. They, however, most certainly did not. Zarak will wind down the year as France's leading first-season sire; he currently has 18 winners from 37 starters-from a first crop of 84 foals-and two stakes winners in Germany: the G3 Preis der Derbysiegers winner Lizaid (Ger) and the Listed Grosser Preis der Mehl-Mulhens-Stiftung scorer Parnac (Ire), both fillies. The best-known runner from Zarak's first crop, however, is Purplepay (Fr), a two-time winner who was third in the G1 Criterium International in October before selling to Roy and Gretchen Jackson of Lael Stables for €2-million at Arqana's December Sale to continue her racing career in America. While Purplepay appears unlikely for the French Classics, Zarak nonetheless goes into the winter with another potential leading light for ParisLongchamp and Chantilly: Allan Belshaw's homebred Times Square (Fr), who won on debut at Deauville in July and was second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac.

Zarak retired among a competitive sire class in France, which was headed by the European champion 3-year-old Almanzor (Fr) and also included Group 1 winners Zelzal (Fr) and Al Wukair (Ire). But Georges Rimaud, longtime manager of Bonneval, said the confidence in Zarak began to build when his foals started hitting the ground.

“Zarak has been an expected success, because he kept covering a lot of mares every year,” Rimaud said. “Breeders were quite keen to go back to him every year, and that's generally a good indication. When he started to have winners early in the summer we started looking at him seriously, and we're very pleased with what he's done, having stakes winners in Germany, and Group 1 placings in France. With his pedigree, he suddenly appears as a very good prospect.”

On the surface Zarak may have appeared a later-developing sire prospect, but a close look would have revealed a horse with potential to hit the ground running. Zarak, after all, won his only start at two and was second behind Almanzor in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club. The unbeaten Zarkava won the Prix Marcel Boussac at two and swept the French fillies' Classics before winning the G1 Prix Vermeille and the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at three.

“He was not really expected to be a champion 2-year-old producer I suppose, but it should have been expected for them to run at two,” Rimaud reasoned. “I suppose the breeders also knew that he had won his Group 1 at four and they needed to bring precocious mares. The breeders did what they should have been doing, and I think we should have expected him to have what he had this year, and I think we got a little bit more.”

Zarak covered in the neighborhood of 120 mares in each of his first four seasons at stud, with his fee remaining steady at €12,000 throughout. In today's commercially driven market where fees and book sizes ebb and flow, sometimes dramatically, before a stallion even has runners, that is a noteworthy accomplishment, and stands Zarak in good stead to build on his strong start with his subsequent crops. Zarak is booked full for 2022 at 130 mares-from almost 200 applicants–with his fee upped to €25,000.

As is typical for the Bonneval stallions-which currently also include the country's champion sire Siyouni (Fr) and Dariyan (Fr)-Zarak is syndicated, which Rimaud said also helped keep the horse's numbers high.

“The shareholders really supported the horse very well with nice mares,” he said. “I feel syndication is important to ensure the support from breeders. And I think it provides a bit of help in selling nominations-you have the shareholders talking about the horse, rather than just us.”

Those shareholders are already being rewarded, too: a 1/50th share in Zarak was sold through Arqana Online for €380,000 last week, and another for €350,000 in November.

“It's always a nice surprise when a stallion does well, so on that level it is a surprise, but should we really be surprised?” Rimaud said. “Not really, because he's extremely well-bred and he's covered some nice mares, and a good number of them, and he's had the results he has had. Breeders are very keen to use him, and he's very full this year.”

Zarak is situated in the Bonneval stallion barn kitty-corner to the aforementioned Siyouni, France's most expensive stallion at €140,000 and the sire of six Group 1 winners including this year's joint highest-rated 3-year-old St Mark's Basilica (Fr). Though Zarak has a high mountain to climb to match the exploits of his barnmate, he is thus far on the right track and their accomplishments at the same stages of their careers are not dissimilar. Siyouni had 19 winners in his first season with runners, one more than Zarak thus far, and four stakes winners. Siyouni started at €7,000 and like Zarak remained at that fee through his first four seasons before going up to €20,000 in the year that he had his first 3-year-olds. He has been on an uninterrupted upward trajectory ever since and interestingly, breeders are already taking advantage of the Zarak/Siyouni cross: Times Square is out of the Siyouni mare See You Always (GB). Zarak represents an interesting opportunity for breeders, being free from Danehill and Sadler's Wells, and is among a growing number of Dubawi sons excelling at stud, that list also including Time Test (GB) from the same cohort as well as Night Of Thunder (Ire) and New Bay (GB).

“They're not similar stallions, but they've had similar results in the first year and let's hope Zarak takes the same road; that would be very, very nice,” Rimaud said. “But we'll stay modest and see what happens. Stallions are a funny, funny business, and people can get off them very quickly. But Zarak's yearling sales have also been very good, and he produces very nice-looking horses.”

As a successful sire out of one of the very best horses raced in the Aga Khan colours, Zarak's accomplishments must evoke a great sense of pride for the operation that celebrates its 100th year in the sport in 2022. Zarkava, indeed, is one of just two horses raced by the current Aga Khan to win four Group 1 races, the other being Blushing Groom (Fr), while the great Derby winners Shergar and Sinndar are among those to have collected three. Unlike her son, Zarkava did not get off to the most distinguished start at stud, with none of her first three foals making it to the races, but she has since made up for that with Zarak, her fourth foal, followed by the listed-winning and Group 1-placed Zarkamiya (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) and the listed-winning Zaykava (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Both fillies are now ensconced in the Bonneval broodmare band alongside their dam: Zarkamiya produced a Medaglia d'Oro foal this year and is currently in foal to Siyouni, while Zaykava is in foal for the first time to Zarak's sire Dubawi. Zarkava had a Siyouni colt this year but will be rested in 2022.

“Zarkava is doing well,” Rimaud said. “She's not in foal this year; she was barren to Lope De Vega (Ire). But she has had 11 or 12 foals in a row, so she gets a well-deserved rest this year and then we'll decide who she goes to next year; we haven't done the matings yet. She is well, but she is getting on, so we need to preserve her a bit.”

“The Aga Khan said, when Zarkava won the Arc, that it epitomized his breeding operation,” Rimaud added. “And that's just the continuity of it, really. That's the goal, what we're about; raising good racehorses to become nice broodmares or good stallions. So I think he's obviously very, very pleased with it [Zarak's success]. But we still need support from people with nice mares, and hopefully he can follow in the tracks of Siyouni.

“Zarak comes from a very true Aga Khan family; he descends from Mumtaz Mahal. Next year, we are celebrating 100 years of the Aga Khan's breeding operation, so that comes at a good time. These pedigrees have been really nourished; those very good Aga Khan pedigrees always show something, so it's quite interesting that it will be 100 years next year, and Zarak's 3-year-olds will hopefully do well. So everything is coming into place.”

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Schiergen was delighted with the performances of Lizaid and Barina and said, “Both fillies had been working well and had improved from their debut victory, as a lot of my young horses do, so we were quite hopeful beforehand. Looking at the way they are bred, they should both be suited by longer distances next year.”

Lizaid is the first of two foals produced by G2 Diana-Trial third Litaara (Ger) (Wiener Walzer {Ger}), herself kin to MGSW G2 Union-Rennen victor Liang Kay (Ger) (Dai Jin {GB}) and stakes-winning G3 Kolner Herbst-Stuten-Meile placegetter Laeya Star (Ger) (Royal Dragon). The latter is the dam of G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen third Laeyos (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) while Liang Kay's full-sister Laey Diamond (Ger) produced G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) heroine Lacazar (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen runner-up Liberry Gold (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}). The March-foaled homebred bay's dual stakes-winning second dam Linton Bay (Ger) (Funambule) is the leading performer out of Ludhiana (Ger) (Ti Amo {Ger}), whose descendants also include Listed Bayerischer Fliegerpreis and Listed Dallmayr Coupe Lukull winner Lonicera (Ger) (Charmer {Ire}). Lizaid hails from the family of Preis der Diana-winning champion Lis (Ger) (Masetto {Ger}) and she is kin to a weanling filly by Best Solution (Ire).

Sunday, Baden-Baden, Germany
DIE WINTERKONIGIN – PREIS DES DERBYSIEGERS SISFAHAN-G3, €105,000, Baden-Baden, 10-17, 2yo, f, 8fT, 1:42.87, gd.
1–LIZAID (GER), 128, f, 2, by Zarak (Fr)
1st Dam: Litaara (Ger) (GSP-Ger), by Wiener Walzer (Ger)
2nd Dam: Linton Bay (Ger), by Funambule
3rd Dam: Ludhiana (Ger), by Ti Amo (Ger)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Gestut Haus Zoppenbroich (GER); T-Peter Schiergen; J-Bauyrzhan Murzabayev. €60,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €63,000. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Rondina (Ger), 128, f, 2, Intello (Ger)–Rondinay (Fr), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB). O-Stall Carpe Diem; B-Ralf Kredel (GER); T-Waldemar Hickst. €23,000.
3–Barina (Ire), 128, f, 2, Gleneagles (Ire)–Biscaya Bay (GB), by Dansili (GB). O-Gestut Ammerland; B-Ammerland Verwaltung & Co GmbH & Co KG (IRE); T-Peter Schiergen. €11,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, SHD, NK. Odds: 5.40, 27.60, 11.40.
Also Ran: Lacuna (GB), Enjoy The Dream (GB), Rosenart (GB), Stephanie In Love (Fr), Atomic Blonde (Ger), Artemia, Indian Sunset (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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In 2021, Siyouni is the sire of G1 French 2000 Guineas hero St Mark's Basilica (Fr) who also won the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. at two. Last year, Siyouni's 2019 G1 Prix du Jockey Club victor Sottsass (Fr) captured the G1 Qatar Prix l'Arc de Triomphe. The bay has also sired G1 French 1000 Guineas winners Dream And Do (Ire) and Ervedya (Fr), the latter successful three times at the highest level. He is also responsible for six-time Group 1 winner Laurens (Fr), who won the G1 Prix de Diane.

From only six runners in the Southern Hemisphere, the 14-year-old has four black-type performers, including listed winner See You In Spring (Aus), while he also has had yearlings sell for up to A$550,000 in Australia.

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Standing alongside Sea The Stars at Gilltown is his dual Derby winning son Harzand (Ire), who had his first 2-year-olds this year. He will remain at his fee of last year at €8,000.

Heading the Aga Khan’s French stallions at Haras de Bonneval is worldwide sensation Siyouni (Fr), who goes up to €140,000 after two years at €100,000. Siyouni’s seven group winners in 2020 remarkably included four Group 1 winners, headed by Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe scorer Sottsass (Fr) and also including Poule d’Essai des Pouliches victress Dream And Do (Fr), Dewhurst winner St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) and E.P. Taylor S. winner Etoile (Fr).

Standing alongside Siyouni at Bonneval is first-crop yearling sire Zarak (Fr) and Dariyan (Fr), whose first 2-year-olds this year included two black-type performers in France. Zarak and Dariyan, both Group 1 winners, stand at unchanged fees of €12,000 and €8,000, respectively.

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