Zarkava conquers all in Arc

Zarkava has wrapped herself in the mantle of greatness (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com) His Highness the Aga Khan's undefeated filly ZARKAVA (Zamindar) put a world-class field of older horses to the sword in Sunday's 87th running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) at Longchamp. Now a perfect seven-for-seven, the Alain de Royer-Dupre trainee reigns as the undisputed queen of Europe, and arguably one of the finest winners of the historic test. It was not all smooth sailing for the 13-8 favorite, however. A smattering of overnight rain left the turf slightly softer than ideal, and de Royer-Dupre had to issue a bulletin earlier in the day to confirm Zarkava's participation. Breaking from a potentially problematic post 1, Zarkava stumbled and got away crookedly, but regular rider Christophe Soumillon got her organized and settled her well off the pace. As expected, Red Rock Canyon (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]), the pacemaker for Aidan O'Brien's duo of Duke of Marmalade (Danehill) and Soldier of Fortune (Galileo [Ire]), sprinted to the fore and dictated a relentless tempo.

When Red Rock Canyon completed his job and weakened in the stretch, It's Gino

(Perugino) and Soldier of Fortune struck the front. Just behind them was a wall

of horses, Zarkava among them, trying to work their way forward. For an instant,

it looked as if she may not find a seam, but suddenly the whole course opened up

before her. Producing her hallmark turn of foot, Zarkava immediately stormed

clear of the battling duo and crossed the wire a decisive two-length winner. The

bay sophomore completed about 1 1/2 miles on the good-to-soft ground in 2:28

4/5, becoming the first female to take the Arc since the four-year-old Urban Sea

in 1993.

"Today we have seen the confirmation that she is really out of the ordinary,"

de Royer-Dupre marveled. "She has a very fluid way of moving and an ease of

acceleration in just a couple of strides which is incredible. I have never seen

her in difficulty. I am very lucky to train such a great filly."

"She gave me the same extraordinary sensation that I had with Dalakhani (winner of the 2003 Arc),

the only one that would have been able to challenge her for victory today," Soumillon

said. "They are the two horses of my life. They will be engraved in everyone's

memory forever, and especially in mine. I always said that I thought I would win

the Arc with her, but we needed a good run of the race, which is never

guaranteed. We got a passage through the field at a crucial moment in the race

when there was a lot of movement.

"She's a real jewel, a filly with such class that we are unlikely to see the

same quality for 25 or 30 years," her rider concluded.

"Today is the apogee for a breeding operation which dates back 90 years

and for five generations of my family," summed up the Aga

Khan, who also bred and campaigned Dalakhani. "I am really amazed by my

filly."

Last year's Arc runner-up Youmzain (Sinndar), who had been buried on the

rail, finally broke free and finished with a flourish to take second place once

again.

"It didn't cost him the race," Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Youmzain's owner Jaber Abdullah,

admitted to PA Sport. "The winner is an exceptional filly."

Another half-length back came the inseparable pair of It's Gino and Soldier

of Fortune in a dead-heat for third. The previously unbeaten colt Vision d'Etat

(Chicicastengago) reported home fifth, followed by Ask (GB) (Sadler's Wells),

Duke of Marmalade, Getaway (Monsun), Cima de Triomphe (Galileo [Ire]), Japanese

shipper Meisho Samson (Opera House [GB]), Papal Bull (Montjeu [Ire]), Blue

Bresil (Smadoun), Schiaparelli (Monsun), Zambezi Sun (Dansili [GB]), Kamsin (Samum)

and Red Rock Canyon.

O'Brien was not making any hasty decisions about Soldier of Fortune and Duke

of Marmalade.

"I'm not using the ground as an excuse. They've both run good races," he

said. "They both have plenty of options, and we'll see what happens."

Zarkava first burst onto the scene on Arc Day last year, when she captured

the Prix Marcel Boussac (Fr-G1) and thereby ranked as France's highweight

juvenile filly. On Sunday, her Arc success put her seal on a brilliant

three-year-old campaign. After an easy reappearance in the Prix de la Grotte

(Fr-G3), she commenced her march through the French fillies' classics, coasting

to impressive victories in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand

Guineas) (Fr-G1) and Prix de Diane (Fr-G1). She enjoyed the traditional summer

break and returned to prep for the Arc with a scintillating score in the Prix

Vermeille (Fr-G1).

Bred in Ireland, Zarkava was produced by the unraced Zarkasha (Kahyasi), and

she has an unraced juvenile half-sister named Zerkeriya (Soviet Star). Zarkasha

is herself a half-sister to French Group 3 heroine Zarkiya (Ire) (Catrail). This

is the family of Zainta (Kahyasi), victress of the 1998 Prix de Diane and Prix

Saint-Alary (Fr-G1). Zarkava's fifth dam is the immortal Petite Etoile

(Petition), winner of the 1959 English One Thousand Guineas, Oaks and Champion

S., and a two-time heroine of the Coronation Cup in 1960-61.

The Aga Khan has not yet determined whether Zarkava will remain in training

next season, or be retired.

"The decision about her future has not been taken yet," His Highness said.

"She won't race again this year, and I will discuss next year with my team."