Zarak Makes Fast Start To Stud Career

When Aga Khan homebred Zarak (Fr) retired to stud at Haras de Bonneval in 2018, he boasted exemplary credentials: by the sire-making Dubawi (Ire), Zarak was a Group 1 winner out of the Aga Khan's great champion mare Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar).

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.”

The post Zarak Makes Fast Start To Stud Career appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Lizaid Registers A Stakes First For Zarak In Germany

Trainer Peter Schiergen had already scooped last month's G3 Zukunfstrennen, one of Germany's four juvenile pattern-race contests, with Rocchigiani (GB) (Time Test {GB}) and he doubled up with the once-raced maiden winner Lizaid (Ger) (Zarak {Fr}) in Sunday's G3 Die Winterkonigin – Preis des Derbysiegers Sisfahan at Baden-Baden to provide that filly's freshman sire (by Dubawi {Ire}) with a first black-type triumph. Lizaid's debut score came in the same one-mile Hannover maiden annexed by 2018 heroine Whispering Angel (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) and she remained undefeated to provide her trainer with a fourth renewal and a first since 2007. The eventual winner was well away from the inside stall and bowled along behind the leading duo in third after the initial exchanges of this black-type bow. Sent wide with the field into the straight, the 27-5 chance claimed the stands' side rail and the lead with 350 metres remaining and kept on strongly under final-furlong rousting to secure a career high by 2 1/4 lengths from 28-1 rank outsider Rondina (Ger) (Intello {Ger}). Rondina denied Schiergen an exacta by outbobbing Barina (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) by a short head for second while 33-10 favourite Lacuna (GB) (Shalaa {Ire}) ran on from rear to finish a neck back in fourth.

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.

The post Lizaid Registers A Stakes First For Zarak In Germany appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Siyouni Available to Cover on Southern Hemisphere Time

French Champion Sire Siyouni (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}–Sichilla {Ire}, by Danehill), will be available to cover mares on Southern Hemisphere time for €100,000, The Aga Khan Studs announced on Friday.

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.

The post Siyouni Available to Cover on Southern Hemisphere Time appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Sea The Stars Leads Aga Khan Roster

Sea The Stars (Ire), whose 14 group race winners in 2020 included Group 1 stars Stradivarius (Ire) and Miss Yoda (Ger), heads the Aga Khan rosters in Ireland and France and will stand once again for €150,000 at Gilltown Stud in 2021. Sea The Stars, whose standouts this year also included Group 2 winners like Fanny Logan (Ire), Terebellum (Ire) and Valia (Fr), is siring 12% stakes winners to runners and 66% winners to runners.

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.

The post Sea The Stars Leads Aga Khan Roster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights