'I thought to myself, he’s only a pony' - Montzey hoping to unearth next Zorken at Arqana

The confluence of racing and sales in Deauville can often throw up timely reminders to prospective buyers at Arqana and the success of Zorken in Thursday's Listed Criterium de Vitesse was just the latest case. 

It's fare to say plenty more people have taken notice of the speedy son of Goken this season than did when he was led into the ring during part three of the 2022 October Yearling Sale, when veteran trainer Bruno de Montzey was able to snap him up for just €3,500 from Aian Chopard's Haras des Faunes draft. 

"He was that price because he was small," said de Montzey, who headed straight across the Avenue Hocquart de Turtot from the racecourse to Arqana in search of another sales pearl. "I wanted something by Goken and he wasn’t expensive because of his size. I didn’t care, I had my Goken."

Haras de Colleville's stallion was clearly the key factor in De Montzey's decision, while Chopard's fingerprints are all over the the pedigree of dam Zorra Chope, a daughter of Bertolini sent to Goken by Zorken's breeder Werner Neumann. 

The price has looked a bargain ever since Zorken got off the mark at the first time of asking at La Teste in March, a success he followed up in style at Longchamp in May, before finding only Ramatuelle too strong in the Prix du Bois.

Not that any of that looked likely to Montzey to begin with, as initial enthusiasm for his bargain buy was soon challenged.

"When we got him home I thought to myself, ‘He’s only a pony,’ said De Montzey. "He was difficult to ride to begin with and there was a moment when I wondered if I would keep him. But once he started cantering, he did everything so easily and I thought, ‘We’ll be okay here.’

"It became obvious he had lots of pace and you didn’t have to force the issue with him, he just wanted to go fast."

De Montzey added: "Olivier [Peslier] has always said he’s a horse who breaks really well and gets into his stride very quickly. After that he doesn’t really accelerate, but he just keeps going at that high cruising speed. He is lightning at the start and then he keeps at it, that’s his strength."

De Montzey's reputation with precocious horses meant that after Zorken's winning debut, Gerard Larrieu wasted little time acquiring the colt for leading owner Jean-Louis Bouchard, and the trainer believes there may be more sport to be had next year.

"I love speedy two-year-olds and he’s up there with my very good ones," he said. "I think he’ll train on at three. Olivier says he’ll get 1,200 or 1,300 metres next year around a turn, though he probably wouldn’t stay that going straight. 

"He found it easier around the turn at La Teste in the Listed Criterium, so he might even stay 1,400."

An hour later, De Montzey was working the phones up in the Arqana restaurant, hoping to unearth the next Zorken.

He said: "It won’t be easy but we’ll give it a crack. I never buy very expensive horses so we’ll see." 

More Arqana news:

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