Zarak

Group 2 winner Zarakem will stand at Haras d'Etreham's jumps division, Haras de la Tuilerie, in 2026. His fee will be €4,000. By Zarak and out of the Mastercraftsman mare Harem Mistress, the five-year-old was bred by Jean-Paul Cayrouze. Racing for Nicolas de Chambure and Sofiane Benaroussi, he won twice at listed level at three and would go on to star in the 2024 G2 Prix d'Harcourt at four. He was also second in the G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Ascot and is currently rated 122. The €85,000 Arqana...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a half-sister to Calandagan. 5.07 Deauville, Debutantes, 2yo, f, 8fT CALASITA (IRE) (Zarak {Fr}) makes her debut in timely fashion just days after her illustrious half-brother Calandagan (Gleneagles) sealed European champion status at Ascot. Francis Graffard introduces The Aga Khan Studs homebred against a cast that...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features an exciting son of Zarak. 14.30 Chantilly, €31,100, Cond, 2yo, 8fT Andre Fabre nominee SENEQUE (IRE) (Zarak {Fr}) failed to meet his reserve when stalling on €1.2 million at last week's Arqana Arc Sale and heads postward off the back of an impressive five-length score over...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This column is highlighted by the victory of Silawi at Woodbine. Dubawi Gelding Claims The Canadian International Wathnan Racing's Silawi (Dubawi) earned his first top-tier win in the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine on October 4 (video). Bred by Wertheimer and Frere, he is trained by Hamad Al Jehani. Sold for €380,000 out of the Arqana Arc Sale in 2023, the five-year-old gelding is also a winner of the G3 Winter Hill...

Luke Lillingston will not want 2025 to end. The magical year for Mount Coote Stud has consisted of 42 individual winners, including headline acts like Santorini Star and Laurelin, who is one of the poster girls for the Goffs Orby Sale.  And rightly so. Under the care of Graham Motion, the Orby graduate has won all five of her starts in America and is understood to be on course for the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland next month. "You never want to toot the horn too...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features 3.7 million gns debuter Act Of Kindness. 4.45 Newmarket, Mdn, 2yo, f, 7fT ACT OF KINDNESS (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), the third-highest-priced yearling sold at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 bonanza at 3.7million gns, had been taken out of her intended debut at Sandown last month...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Wimbledon Hawkeye at Kentucky Downs.   Kameko Colt Hits The Target In Kentucky The consistent Wimbledon Hawkeye (Kameko) made his first American foray a winning one when scooping a $1 million-plus payday at Kentucky Downs in the GIII Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes on August 30 (video). Bred by owners the Gredley family's Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs, the James Owen trainee had won...

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of El Cordobes at Saratoga. El Cordobes Breaks Through At The Spa Godolphin's El Cordobes (Frankel) broke through at the highest level in the August 9 GI Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga for Charlie Appleby (video). He is a winner of the G2 Princess of Wales's Stakes in England. Bred by Bjorn Nielsen, he was originally picked up for 2 million gns out of the...

"She has played her part," says Pierre Gasnier with some understatement as a gaggle of visitors to the Aga Khan Studs gazes at Zarkava, now enjoying her retirement at the age of 20. With Thoroughbreds, it is the race records that separate the great from the good from the downright ordinary. Zarkava's stands her apart from the crowd by some wide margin. Seven wins, seven runs, with her parting gift on the track to her owner-breeder being her sensational Arc victory. Seventeen years have rolled on since then, and the...

Twenty years ago, Dubawi claimed his third Group 1 victory in the Prix Jacques Le Marois. On Sunday, Sajir, his third-generation male-line descendant, claimed his own first top-level win, also in Deauville, when lowering the colours of hot favourite Lazzat in the Prix Maurice de Gheest. In TDN on Friday, Ted Voute told Adam Houghton how the team behind Prince Faisal and his homebred Sajir were "quietly quite excited" in the build-up to a race which could seal Sajir's place at stud. Well, they can be loudly very excited now,...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Sigh No More in the Boiling Springs Stakes at Monmouth. Boiling Springs Stakes To Sigh No More Heider Family Stables' Sigh No More ran out a 1 1/2-length winner of Monmouth Park's Boiling Springs Stakes at the end of last month (video). Conditioned by Brendan Walsh, the daughter of Starspangledbanner was making her second US start. Bred by Barronstown Stud out of the...

Some of the earliest clues for next year's Triumph Hurdle may well have been on show at Arqana on Wednesday when the highly-touted Zekret (Fr) was purchased on behalf of a leading Irish owner to continue his career with Joseph O'Brien. The Zarak colt boasted smart form in France for trainer Andre Fabre on behalf of Al Shaqab Racing and was last seen running respectably - only beaten a little over three lengths - in a Group 3 contest at ParisLongchamp over 1m3f.  It was agent Alex Elliott, working alongside...