Al Wukair and Zelzal set to bolster strong Bouquetot roster

Al Wukair and Zelzal will start their stallion careers at the Haras de Bouquetot in Normandy next year, making it three new Group 1-winning recruits to the base of Al Shaqab Racing's bloodstock interests for 2018 with Toronado also transferring there from the National Stud in Newmarket.

Al Wukair, a son of Dream Ahead trained by Andre Fabre, was unbeaten in two starts at two last year, including in the Listed Prix Isonomy.

He won the Group 3 Prix Djebel on his three-year-old debut in April, before finishing a close third behind Churchill and Barney Roy in the 2,000 Guineas, second to Taareef in the Prix Messior and gaining a deserved top-level success in the Prix Jacques le Marois.

Al Wukair will sign off his racing career in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.

The 200,000gns Book 1 yearling purchase by Al Shaqab is a brother to Saturday's Group 3 Autumn Stakes runner-up Dream Today out of a winning half-sister to French and Irish 1,000 Guineas third La Nuit Rose. His granddam is Prix de Diane heroine Caerlina.

Zelzal, meanwhile, was trained by Jean-Claude Rouget to win the Prix Jean Prat last year and also notched a victory in the Group 3 Prix Paul de Moussac and finished third to Vadamos in the Prix du Moulin.

The son of Sea The Stars was unable to race for the first part of this season due to quarantine restrictions after a virus struck Rouget's stables and did not reappear until the summer, when he finished a creditable fourth in the Sussex Stakes.

Zelzal – who will make his final start in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar – is a half-brother to this year's Prix Chloe scorer Ibiza out of a winning daughter of Kingmambo. He was a €180,000 Arqana October yearling purchase.

Al Wukair and Zelzal, who are available for syndication, will stand at Bouquetot alongside champion two-year-old Shalaa and fellow Group 1 winners Olympic Glory, Planteur, Style Vendome and Toronado.

“We're delighted to extend our stallion roster in 2018 and to welcome, in addition to Toronado, two such fine prospects as Zelzal and Al Wukair,” said Bouquetot stud manager Benoit Jeffroy.

“Each of them have won Group 1s carrying the Al Shaqab Racing silks and it is a source of pride to be able to stand them here in France at Haras de Bouquetot. We've made the decision to make them both available to breeders through syndication at very valuable conditions.”

Covering fees for the Bouquetot roster will be announced early next month.

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