Breeding and early career
High expectations were held for Zarkava when the Aga Khan owned daughter of Zamindar made her racecourse debut in early September 2007, in a 1 mile contest at Longchamp confined to unraced two-year-old fillies.
By the conclusion of her unbeaten 7-race career, 5 at Group 1 level including 2 French classics and culminating in victory in the world's richest turf race, greatness had been bestowed upon her and she was held within the very highest esteem....
Trained by Alain de Royer Dupre amid the forests of Chantilly, Zarkava was a product from one of the Aga Khan's illustrious blue-blooded families developed from years of selective tradition and a continually developed mighty band of broodmares.
Out of Zarkasha, an unraced Aga Khan owned mare by Derby winner Kahyasi, Zarkava could boast the great Petite Etoile in the bottom line of her superb pedigree, and by the end of a dazzling second season Zarkava could be compared to the finest distaff performers of the post-war era...
Following that debut success and an outstanding piece of homework, connections supplemented Zarkava for the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp on Arc day, October 07.
Under Christophe Soumillon, it was on this occasion when this brilliant filly first displayed an explosive turn of foot in coming from off the pace to win impressively by two-and-a-half lengths.
She looked a leader of her generation and her big Spring target was to be the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, the French 1,000 Guineas.
Classic glory
Zarkava reappeared as a three-year-old in the Group 3 Prix de la Grotte over a mile at Longchamp in April 2008, and despite the testing ground she again oozed class and beat Conference Call just as she did in the Boussac.
So it was onto the classic Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, on Longchamp's May Classic Sunday, where once again, having been dropped out by super-cool Soumillon, the Aga Khan's super filly blinded her rivals for speed to win in course record time from Goldikova and Halfway To Heaven.
Both the second and third were to progress to their own major honours - Goldikova went onto prove a champion herself, while the latter won the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Zarkava was fast establishing herself as the most exciting racehorse in Europe, and her young, exuberant Belgian jockey was now describing her as the female Dalakhani.
Zarkava's next target was the French Oaks, the Prix de Diane, at Chantilly- her first and only race away from Longchamp- and her first attempt at an extended ten furlongs.
Goldikova was amoung the 13-runner line-up, but with the assistance of her pacemaker, Sanjida, Zarkava was once again in a class of her own as she coasted to a 3 length win from Gagnoa, with Goldikova third.
Soumillon once again eased her down, saluting the Chantilly crowd as this brilliant filly recorded her second classic success, and extended her unbeaten record to 5 races.
Unbelievable scenes
Zarkava was an exceptional looking filly, potentially one of the best of her sex for many years, and connections were now considering the possibility of a crack at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Following a midsummer break, her Arc credentials were set to be fully tested in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille on Longchamp's Arc trials day in mid September.
Could she stretch her dazzling speed over the twelve-furlong distance against 11 rivals?
Drama at the start, as Zarkava completely missed the break when the stalls opened, and Soumillon found himself and his celebrated partner all of 20 lengths behind the leaders in a strongly run race.
Still last entering the straight, it seemed she had the length of the Champs-Elysees to make up on the field, and would surely have needed to be rocket powered if she was going to pull this one out of the fire .....she was and she did !!
Powering down the centre of the track on the outside of the field, Zarkava unleashed a sensational and sustained burst of acceleration to cut down the leaders and win by 2 lengths from the smart English trained filly Dar Re Mi.
It was a spectacular performance, unbelieveable, and yet Zarkava had still somehow won comfortably.
Zarkava's stunning Prix Vermeille success. The first minute of this video is flickery and the race commentary is in French, but this video is still absolutely unmissable. Stunning.
The Arc
She had confirmed herself the best three-year-old filly in Europe, and three weeks later she would start even money favourite in the richest turf race in the world, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
She would attempt to become the first of her age and sex to win Europe's most prestigious all-age middle-distance race since Akiyda carried the Aga Khan colours to victory in 1982.
Standing between Zarkava and greatness were 15 rivals making up another stellar line-up for the Longchamp showpiece. Among them no fewer than nine Group 1 winners, and six Derby winners of different origins - Soldier Of Fortune the runaway Irish Derby winner, Kamsin winner of the German Derby, Cima de Triomphe the Italian Derby winner, Schiaparelli another winner of the German classic, Vision D'Etat, and Meisho Samson winner of the Japanese Guineas and Derby.
Also in this star studded line-up were Duke Of Marmalade the King George winner, and Youmzain, winner of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and runner-up to Dylan Thomas 12 months earlier.
Once again, Zarkava had given herself plenty to do, but confidently ridden as always by Soumillon she cut through this elite field in the Longchamp straight to win in thrilling fashion by 2 lengths from Youmzain and the dead-heaters It's Gino and Soldier Of Fortune.
Relive Zarkava's memorable Arc success
It was another scintillating display from this superlative unbeaten filly, who could now be mentioned in the same breath as those great French fillies from the 70s; Allez France, Dahlia, Pawneese, and Three Troikas, as well as the best recent distaff performers seen on this side of the channel such as Ouija Board, Bosra Sham, Pebbles and Time Charter.
She is arguably the best filly seen this decade, a filly who possessed a tremendous turn of foot, and represented her owners historic bloodstock traditions.
Her retirement and covering by Dalakhani will ensure a continuing legacy of her owners bloodstock empire.
By the conclusion of her unbeaten 7-race career, 5 at Group 1 level including 2 French classics and culminating in victory in the world's richest turf race, greatness had been bestowed upon her and she was held within the very highest esteem....
Unbelievable scenes
