Tuesday 22 November 2022
A daughter of the legendary racemare and Group 1 producer ZARKAVA and a half-sister to exciting 2023 prospect SHARTASH are among 29 fillies and mares set to form the Aga Khan Studs draft for the Arqana December Sale.
In 2022, mares previously sold by the Aga Khan Studs at this sale produced the likes of Gr.1 Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip, Grade 3 winner and Grade 1 placed Brazil (whose dam Dialafara was also the grandam of Gr.1 Fillies’ Mile winner Commissioning) and Group 3 winners Djo Francais and Lakota Sioux, as well as Group/Graded Stakes performers Bahamian Club, Interpretation, Kitty’s Light and Royal Patronage.
ZERKAZA, lot 217, is already the dam of a Stakes performer in Zeyrek, who was also fourth in this year’s Gr.1 Metropolitan Handicap in Australia. Her family needs little introduction, for, as a daughter of ZARKAVA, she is also a half-sister to Group 1 winner and leading young sire ZARAK, as well as the Stakes winning pair Zarkamiya and Zaykava.
Another in the catalogue from this renowned ‘Z’ family is lot 111, ZELENIYA. The winner of two races visited Showcasing for her first cover in 2022, and is out of Zerkeriya, a half-sister to ZARKAVA.
In total the draft of 14 mares includes seven who have already produced winners, three four-year-olds covered for the first time, and two five-year-olds.
Of the 15 three-year-old fillies on offer, lot 64, SHAMIYANA, could have exciting pedigree updates to come next year. She is a SEA THE STARS half-sister to SHARTASH, a Group 2 winning and twice Group 1-placed two-year-old in 2022. SHAMIYANA is the first foal out of her Group 2 winning dam, who also has a Siyouni yearling colt and a filly foal by Lope De Vega to come.
One hopes the same could be said for lots 92, 712 and 716, VEDEVA, VAYDENA and VAZZANA, who all boast 2022 Classic winner Vadeni – who remains in training for 2023 - on their page, among a host of other Group 1 winners.
Lot 51, SAGHIRA, is another from a very active family. She is out of the Gr.1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Sagawara, whose relations include the blue hen mare Shastye and the dam of 2022 Group 1 winner Perfect Power. Meanwhile lot 2, KESHANA, has already won two races and was fourth in the Gr.3 Prix Miesque. She is the first foal out of her dam, who has progeny by Wootton Bassett, Oasis Dream, Too Darn Hot and Mehmas to follow.
Other winning three-year-olds in the draft include lot 185, DALIZA, winner of her second race since the catalogue was printed, and lot 70, SIRANA. Both fillies are from families that have already produced Group winners for new connections – Four Moves Ahead, Emeralds and Interpretation in the case of DALIZA, and Sonaiyla, Marie’s Diamond and Sinawann in the case of SIRANA.
[ H.H. the Aga Khan's Studs - Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale 2022 - Page 1 (publitas.com) ]
