Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud : A first Gr1 for Zarkava'a 4yo son Zarak
Photos scoopdyga.com
Twice Gr1 second in the Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix Ganay, 4yo Zarak finally found his day on Sunday in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, beating titleholder Silverwave.
Second in the Prix du Jockey Club (Gr1) last year behind champion Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) and then in the Prix Ganay (Gr1) this season behind Cloth of Stars (Sea the Stars), Zarak (Dubawi) finally managed to win his Group 1 Sunday in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Gr1).
Bred and owned by HH the Aga Khan, he waited in the rear of the field this time but closed in to beat Silverwave (Silver Frost) by three parts of a length. Armande (Sea the Stars) was brave enough to keep third place at the expense of English raider My Dream Boat (Lord Shanakill). An inquiry was opened at the end of the race as Doha Dream (Shamardal) unseated his rider Gregory Benoist in the straight but the result stood since no one was deemed responsible for the incident.
Zarak is trained by Alain de Royer Dupré, just like his dam the undefeated champion Zarkava (Zamindar). Zarak is her 4th foal and the only winner to date. There is also a 3-year-old by Redoute's Choice and a 2-year-old by Frankel in training with Alain de Royer Dupré, a yearling by Invincible Spirit and a filly by Siyouni born this year on March 21 in France.
The Prix de Malleret (Gr2) was the other highlight of the meeting, and Listen In (Sea the Stars) has long looked like the winner but Strathspey (New Approach) came fast to take a nose on the post at the end of the 1m1/2 race for 3yo fillies. Trained by André Fabre for Godolphin, the winner had just won her maiden in Lyon-Parilly over 1m3f, while Listen In, homebred by George Strawbridge and trained by Freddy Head, she already finsihed 2nd last time out in the Prix Pénélope (Gr3) behind subsequent Prix de Diane Longines (Gr1) Sistercharlie (Myboycharlie), now exported to the USA.
Two unraced juveniles races opened Sunday's meeting at Saint-Cloud. In the colts race, Frizzanto (Dabirsim) again highlighted the first production of Dabirsim, featuring seven times in the catalog of the yearly Arqana Augsut sale, in addition to the eight Dabirsim yearlings consigned in the following v.2 sale. Dabirsim is also the sire of Different League, winner of the Albany Stakes (Gr3) in Ascot. Stella di Camelot (Camelot), first runner of the Irish sire Camelot (Montjeu) in France, also gave him his first victory in the fillies race, Sunday at Saint-Cloud. Twelve yearlings by Camelot are also registered to enter the ring at Deauville in August.