By Daithi Harvey
Al Shaqab Racing will welcome two new stallions to their roster at Haras de Bouquetot with the announcement that both Al Wukair (Ire) (Dream Ahead–Macheera, by Machiavellian) and Zelzal (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}–Olga Prekrasa, by Kingmambo) will retire to the French stud for the 2018 breeding season.
Al Wukair, bred by Ballylinch Stud and sold by them for 200,000 gns as a yearling at Tattersalls, was an unbeaten stakes winning 2-year-old last year and he announced himself a genuine G1 2000 Guineas contender with an impressive win in the G3 Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte in April. He then ran with great credit to be third to Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket before race fitness found him out in the G3 Prix Messidor at July. He then showed what he was capable of when winning the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois over a mile at Deauville in August under Frankie Dettori.
Described by his trainer Andre Fabre as a “precocious colt and a fantastic mover, with a very good mind,” Al Wukair will have his final start in the G1 QIPCO Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot on Saturday. His current record stands at 6-4-1-1, $654,270.
The Jean-Claude Rouget trained Zelzal is also a Group 1 winning miler, a feat he achieved when beating Sunday's stakes winner Stormy Antarctic (GB) (Stormy Atlantic) in the G1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly last year. Unraced as a juvenile, Zelzal won four of his first five starts culminating in that Group 1 triumph and he could add to his graded stakes tally when he signs off in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar where he should get the fast turf that he relishes. The 4-year-old sports a mark of 7-2-1-1 and earnings of $443,695. Both Al Wukair and Zelzal will be offered for syndication.
Benoit Jeffroy, Haras de Bouquetot's Stud Manager, commented, “We are delighted to extend our stallion roster in 2018 and to welcome in addition to Toronado, two such prospects as Zelzal and Al Wukair. Each of them have won Group 1s in the Al Shaqab Racing silks and we are proud to be able to stand them here in France at Haras de Bouquetot. We have made the decision to make them both available to breeders through syndication at very valuable conditions.”
A covering fee will be announced for both horses next month and the new recruits will see the number of stallions at Bouquetot rise to seven as they join Shalaa (Ire), Olympic Glory (Ire), Planteur (Ire), Style Vendome (Fr) and Toronado (Ire), who is also new to the farm for next year having switched from the National Stud in Newmarket.
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