An excellent week-end for Sea The Stars and Zarak. The Aga Khan Studs were to the fore during Arc weekend, with a most creditable second place for Tarnawa in the feature event, a cross-channel Group double for Sea The Stars and two remarkable performances from juveniles by Zarak.

Three-time Group 1 victrix Tarnawa carried the hopes of H.H. the Aga Khan for a fifth victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe following those of Zarkava, Dalakhani, Sinndar and Akiyda and the five year old mare put up a superb effort to finish second behind surprise winner Torquator Tasso on very testing ground.

Jockey Christophe Soumillon remarked, “Tarnawa is a superstar, she is an Arc runner-up. I think that if the ground had been less sticky, we would have won today.” Trainer Dermot Weld echoed these sentiments, “The holding ground made the difference. She did not show her usual turn of foot to finish and just missed out at the line. I will discuss with H.H. the Aga Khan but an attempt at the Breeders’ Cup is a possibility.” The daughter of Shamardal and Tarana is the title-holder in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Gilltown Stud sire Sea The Stars is enjoying an exceptional season and his son Manobo remained unbeaten when lifting the Gr.2 Prix Chaudenay at ParisLongchamp on Saturday for Godolphin. The lightly raced gelding is a grandson of the Aga Khan Studs-bred Tashelka, and he looks an exciting prospect for 2022. His trainer Charlie Appleby commented, “Manobo is still learning and should develop into a Cup horse for next season.”

Also on Saturday but this time at Ascot, the high-class Hukum, by Sea The Stars, recorded his fifth Stakes success with a six and a half length win in the Gr.3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes. Trainer Owen Burrows indicated that international targets such as the Hong Kong Vase and Dubai Sheema Classic would now be considered for the ultra-consistent four-year-old.

First-season sire Zarak, out of the invincible Zarkava who won both the Arc and the Marcel Boussac during France’s feature weekend, fittingly had his share of success at ParisLongchamp. His daughter Purplepay demolished the field with a powerful front-running performance in the valuable Haras de Bouquetot Criterium Arqana mile contest. The tough and consistent filly was winning her third race and has finished in the money on all seven outings. The Bonneval sire was also represented at the highest level by Times Square who put up a superb performance to take second place in the Gr.1 Prix Marcel Boussac. Already Listed-placed, this filly is out of an unraced daughter of Siyouni.

Updated on 4 October 2021.