She’s been called ‘the most blueblood filly ever’…she’s a leggy Brown 2yo Filly called ZARKAMIYA. Her parents are FRANKEL and ZARKAVA. It’s very rare for Super Star Male and Female Race Track Performers to join in the Breeding Barn but for 2 UNBEATEN Warriors to get together is almost unheard of.
Each Foal produced by our own Unbeaten Legend, BLACK CAVIAR, is treated with Nationwide interest, just imagine the interest in this Filly in Europe. Zarkamiya is the 6th Foal of Unbeaten Champion Zarkava who has also visited World Champion Sires; Dalakhani, Sea The Stars, Galileo, Dubawi and our own Redoute’s Choice. She has already produced the exciting Gr3 Winner ZARAK who is also Gr1 Placed.
Other Great Race Mares have visited Champion Sires but often with disappointing results. Super Star SUNLINE went to Champion Sire ZABEEL and produced Sun Ruler…a 2 time minor race winner from 13 starts. MAKYBE DIVA caught up with LONHRO, GALILEO and FUSAICHI PEGASUS and has failed to produce a Black Type Winner. But this Filly could be something else…FRANKEL is now widely regarded as one of, if not THE best, thoroughbred of all time. ZARKAVA was a triumph for Breeder Aga Khan’s meticulous theories of pedigrees. She was purposely bred and certainly delivered on the track winning all her starts including the 2008 Arc de Triomphe. She will be trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre who trained her mum and is best known to Australian Fans as the trainer of Melbourne Cup Winner AMERICAIN. Let’s have a closer look at Sire and Dam.
FRANKEL:
Frankel born in 2008 is a Bay Colt by Galileo from the Danehill mare Kind. Trained by Henry Cecil and ridden by Tom Queally he would have 4 starts at 2, winning them all easily and culminating in his first Gr1 Win in the Dewhurst Stakes. Returning at 3, he easily won Greenham Stakes at Gr3 and this would be the last time he would race in anything other than Gr1 races. His record of 9 consecutive Gr1 Wins is only matched by US Star Zenyatta. Frankel would have 5 starts at both 3 and 4 years of age and naturally won them all. After his win in the Champion Stakes in 2012, Frankel was given the Timeform rating of 147…this is the Highest Rating ever given in the History of Timeform. Frankel went to stud in 2013 and his service fee was set at £125,000. His first foal would sell at auction for $1.15Million, his first runner would be in winner and of course he would sire a Gr1 winner in his first crop. Of all his fabulous wins, his win in the Queen Anne was something else. Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67CCK_rPM7Q
ZARKAVA:
Zarkava was born in 2005, a result of a union between Zamindar and Zarkasha, both members of the Aga Khan’s famed Z Family. Racing twice as a 2yo for Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre, she would win her Maiden on debut before stepping straight up to Gr1 Level. She easily won the Prix Marcel Boussac and stamped herself as a Filly of exceptional quality. She won her first 3 starts at 3 years of age before tackling the 2400m Prix Vermeille. Almost falling at the start, Zarkava was 12 lengths off the pace as the field settled down. Still last on the turn, she unleased a withering finish to win running away by 2 lengths in Course Record Time. She was now ready for the ultimate test…the WFA Championship of the World the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. In what was her first test against all ages and all sexes, Zarkava destroyed a class field and sealed her greatness. She was retired immediately the winner of 7 from 7 and Europe’s Horse of the Year.
Here is her great win in the Arc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fz0JyuaxmA
So who knows if Zarkamiya will even be good enough to win a race let alone match her famous parents. One thing is for sure, when she makes her debut, it will be the most anticipated race in Europe this year…
Until next week…good punting.
By Rick Wells 14th June 2017.
