by Desmond Stoneham
The Aga Khan’s homebred Zarkava delivered another outstanding performance when she dominated the final stages of the $1,261,520 Prix de Diane (Fr-G1) (French Oaks) at Chantilly on Sunday and scored a comfortable win over Gagnoa.
It was a totally French ending to the Oaks and a very popular victory with the 26,000 enthusiasts who attended meeting, which for the first time in 25 years was without a sponsor.
Zarkava is unbeaten in five career races, and she has still not been asked a serious question. Jockey Christophe Soumillon never had a moment of anxiety about the Zamindar filly during the 2,100-meter (10.43-furlong) race, which she covered in 2:07.10 on turf rated as soft. Zarkava was one of the last coming in to the straight but Soumillon knew he still had an enormous amount of horse under his control.
Soumillon brought Zarkava with a run up the center of the track and she took command with 300 meters left to run. She passed the post three lengths clear of the Group 3 winner Gagnoa and toyed with the others, who were simply not in the same class.
Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre and the Aga Khan won the French Oaks for the fifth time together, and the Belgian-born Soumillon previously won the classic with Latice (Ire) in 2004.
“She is in a class of her own and the best of her sex I’ve ever trained,” Royer-Dupre said in the winner’s enclosure.
The Aga Khan agreed with Royer-Dupre.
“There is no reason now why she shouldn’t run in the [Qatar Prix de l'] Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) [on October 5 at Longchamp], but we would like to have time for reflection. She is the best filly I’ve ever owned and she has a marvelous pedigree, which dates back to [the family’s outstanding racemare] Petite Etoile.”
Soumillon was modest about his achievement aboard Zarkava.
“All I had to do was to guide Zarkava as she had been beautifully prepared by Alain de Royer-Dupre and his team and had been taught to relax. She is an outstanding filly and would have won the [Prix du] Jockey-Club (Fr-G1) (French Derby] last week if she had run in the race.
“If she can stay [the Oaks distance] at Chantilly, she can stay 12 furlongs at Longchamp," Soumillon added. "For me, she is the female version of Dalakhani, who won both the [2003] Jockey-Club and Arc de Triomphe.”
Gagnoa lost nothing in defeat. The Sadler’s Wells filly, who was bought by Coolmore during the winter, ran on well but did not have the acceleration of Zarkava.
“We are delighted with this run and now we will be looking at the [Darley] Irish Oaks (Ire-G1) [on July 13] and the [Qatar] Prix Vermeille (Fr-G1) [on September 14],” co-owner Michael Tabor said.
“We followed the winner throughout, and I think Gagnoa will be suited by a longer distance and more cut in the ground,” jockey Johnny Murtagh added.
Goldikova was always well placed under Olivier Peslier and finished third, 1½ lengths behind Gagnoa after making her rally up the far rail. Runner-up to Zarkava in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (Fr-G1) (French One Thousand Guineas), the Anabaa filly is managed for her owners-breeders, the Wertheimer brothers, by Pierre-Yves Bureau.
“We were very happy by her effort and were beaten by the best,” Bureau said. “She has now earned a well-deserved rest.”
Bred in Ireland, Zarkava is the first starter out of the unraced Kahyasi mare Zarkasha.
Desmond Stoneham is a France-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent