Zarak Filly Leads The Way At Arqana

DEAUVILLE, France–Zarak (Fr), the Aga Khan Studs' beautifully bred son of Dubawi (Ire) and Arc heroine Zarkava (Fr), has made a promising start with his first 2-year-old runners this season and currently has 11 winners to his name from 26 runners. At the weekend he was represented by his first stakes winner when the Gestut Haus Zoppenbroich homebred Lizaid (Ger) the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin for Peter Schiergen at Baden-Baden, while another recent winner, Zagrey (Fr), gave an important update to the filly who topped trade as Part III of the Arqana October Yearling Sale got underway on Thursday. 

Lot 568, the Zarak filly from Haras de Castillon out of Grey Anatomy (Fr) (Slickly {Fr}), was bought for €95,000 by Anne-Sophie Yoh Benet of YOHEA, having received a boost to her page by the victory of her full-brother on Oct. 11 at Amiens.

She is also a half-sister to the treble winner and Group 1-placed Graignes (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}).

“She is a beautiful, well-bred filly, and she really had something special,” said Yoh Benet. “I bought her for a new client for whom I bought several broodmares last year and who wanted to invest in yearlings. We have bought five in total, they will stay in France and we will decide on the trainer according to the profiles of the fillies.”

At a drenched Deauville racecourse on Thursday, the Al Shaqab juvenile Welwal (GB) continued his upwardly mobile progression with his second victory in three starts, and a yearling by his sire Shalaa (Ire) was the leading colt of the day when bought by John Hammond and Federico Barberini for €43,000. Offered as lot 609 as one of a smart draft from Guillaume and Camille Vitse's Normandie Breeding, he is a son of the 2-year-old listed winner Luna Royale (Fr) (Royal Applause {GB}).

A smaller fourth session of the sale saw 76 yearlings sold–or 83.5%–at an average of €16,007 (+15%) and median of €14,0000. The day's aggregate of €1,216,500 pushed the tally for the sale as a whole past €26 million, which is already up by 50% on 2021 with one session of around 100 yearlings to sell on Friday from 11am.