Unraced son of Sea The Stars and Zarkava set for stud career at Haras de Cercy

Zaskar, an unraced son of the unbeaten Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava and a half-brother to leading first-crop sire Zarak, has been recruited to stand at Haras de Cercy in central France.

The three-year-old hails from an outstanding family as he is not only out of a brilliant racemare but is a half-brother to Zarak, a son of Dubawi who won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on the track and has now established himself as one of the most exciting freshman sires in Europe.

Zaskar is also by Sea The Stars, who is set to finish second in this season's European sires championship courtesy of the unbeaten QEII Stakes hero Baaeed and Prix Vermeille winner Teona. The Gilltown Stud sire is responsible for 53 individual Group winners overall, including 16 at the highest level.

Sea The Stars has also made a good start as a sire of sires, with German Derby hero and Lanwades Stud resident Sea The Moon siring Coronation Stakes heroine Alpine Star, while Haras de Bouquetot's Zelzal was provided with a first-crop stakes winner in Zelda this autumn.

Zarkava, the Aga Khan's brilliant homebred daughter of Zamindar and the unraced Zarkasha, won all seven starts including the Arc and Prix de Diane, and has proven a high-class performer in her second career too.

The 16-year-old has produced four winners from as many runners to have made the track, headed by the aforementioned Zarak as well as the Listed-winning Prix Vermeille third Zarkamiya, a daughter of Frankel, and Zaykava, a stakes-winning daughter of the Aga Khan Studs' Siyouni.

Zaskar will stand alongside the likes of established National Hunt sire Cokoriko, Free Port Lux, Headman and Waldpark. His opening fee has been introduced at €2,200 excluding VAT.

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