ZAMINDAR’S ZARKAVA INVINCIBLE IN VERMEILLE
Article taken from the EBN
H H The Aga Khan’s homebred Zarkava revived memories of Dancing Brave at Longchamp yesterday when retaining her unbeaten record in the Gr.1 Prix Vermeille. The heroine of the Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Gr.1 Prix de Diane but unraced since her latter triumph more than three months ago and the subject of mixed gallops reports, Zarkava was last with 400 metres remaining. Pulled wide for her run, the daughter of Juddmonte Farms’ Zamindar instantly sprouted wings to overwhelm Dar Re Mi and score by an imperious two lengths. She thus shortened to around 2-1 for the Arc.
BRILLIANT ZARKAVA SLAMS VERMEILLE FIELD
Article taken from the Racing Post
By Bruce Jackson
FRENCH or English, it was ‘formidable' and ‘exceptional'. Those were the words banded about by turfistes and visitors alike, after Zarkava on Sunday produced an astonishing performance to keep her unbeaten record and cement her place at the summit of the Arc market.
It has now been six of the best from Zarkava, and it just gets better as, after a midsummer break, she gave her Prix Vermeille field a start and deigned to join in the race only in the final 2f.
That Christophe Soumillon, pulling the Aga Khan's filly widest out midtrack for an uninterrupted run, was able to still ease as he reached what will be the Arc winning post in three weeks time, 50m short of yesterday's actual line, and still beat fillies who boasted the strongest form around was just breathtaking.
Zarkava is now 6-4 favourite with Coral and Stan James for the Arc on October 5, and was cut across the board. Paddy Power and Sky Bet are best at 2-1.
The two lengths she beat Dar Re Mi by was not half the story, as Zarkava lost at least six lengths after fluffing the start, and Ballydoyle set out to test Zarkava's untapped stamina for this 1m4f trip.
Adored, one of Aidan O'Brien's trio, was still fully ten lengths clear of her field turning into the straight, with Zarkava last.
Adored's stride shorted into the last furlong and Dar Re Mi burst past, only to be immediately swallowed up by Zarkava's unbelievable run, that set a new fastest time for this Arc trial.
Soumillon, bringing Zarkava back to the winner's enclosure pointing down to her head, to make sure the audience knew who the star of the day was, was asked if he had ever been concerned.
Soumillon shrugged and said: "I never worry when I ride a filly like that. I knew I was on the best filly in the race."
Winning trainer Alain de Royer Dupre felt the Vermeille turned into a trotting race, where multiple winners are handicapped with up to 25m concessions.
"You are always worried when a horse starts like that but she was very relaxed today," he said.
Dar Re Mi's trainer John Gosden took his hat off to the winner and put into words what many people thought: "That was a fantastic race and Zarkava is exceptional and we knew that.”
He added: "That was a tough race. They went a solid pace. It was not a trial; it was a real Group 1. That was probably the best race of the day and perhaps we should have run in the Niel!"
As to his own fillies, Gosden added: "Dar Re Mi showed she is improving all the time and I was pleased with Michita (fourth). There are good Group races to be won with them."
In keeping with Zarkava's dazzling performance, it was blue skies to the horizon but some were pointing to a possible cloud hanging over her in three weeks, if Paris in the autumn is not so idyllic.
Gosden is well qualified to speak about a daughter of Zamindar, having trained the sire's mother and plenty of the family, so it was interesting to note whether he felt we had seenthe Arc winner.
"Only the weather can beat her," he ventured. "The only thing to beat her is if the ground goes heavy. She has such a good action and acceleration, she would not want a lot of rain."
Zarkava also has some stats to overcome, as the Aga Khan well knows, having had three previous Diane winners in the 1990s; Vereva never made the Arc, while both Zainta and Daryaba could finish only 13th on the big day - not to mention that a filly has not triumphed since Urban Sea led home three other fillies in 1993.
ZARKAVA RETURNS WITH A VENGEANCE
Taken from the TDN
Despite fears over a flat midweek workout, Zarkava (Ire) (ZAMINDAR) returned from her summer break at her brilliant best to remain unbeaten in yesterday’s 1 1/2- mile G1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp. As she had done over a mile in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches here May 11 and over the 1 5/16-mile trip of Chantilly’s G1 Prix de Diane on her latest start June 8, His Highness the Aga Khan’s sensation delivered a devastating rattle from rear to inhale her rivals and record an ultimately comfortable success.
Slowly away from the gates and soon trailing in last under Christophe Soumillon, she still had every rival to pass as the field turned into the straight. Switched to the centre of the track, she unleashed her customary killer kick and was in full swing as her rider stopped pushing when alongside the final victim Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) with 50 yards remaining. Equaling the 2002 race-record time of Pearly Shells (GB) and passing the million-euro mark in the process, Longchamp’s darling made a certainty of favoritism in the course-and-distance G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in three weeks’ time.
Zarkava became the first filly since the great Allez France in 1973 to complete the treble of Pouliches- Diane-Vermeille. ‘She is truly exceptional,’ her ownerbreeder commented. ‘It was the plan to stay behind, but not to miss the break like that, so she showed today that she is outstanding.’
Trainer Alain de Royer- Dupre added, ‘I think the noise of the filly’s stalls blanket next to her upset her and that’s why she pulled back slightly. We will now wait for the big day.’
Date:
15 September 2008