Let's talk about... French greats as our team pick Cirrus Des Aigles and Zarkava
Who are your favourite French-trained racehorses? Share your thoughts with us via[email protected]and they will appear at the foot of the article.
Matt Brocklebank - Cirrus Des Aigles
As well as a certain swagger, I like my high-class Flat gallopers to come with a well-stamped passport and Cirrus Des Aigles certainly carried that particular badge of honour.
Pre-global pandemic, there wasn’t much of an excuse not to travel in a bid to ensure the best met the best to find out who was best, and the hardy Cirrus eventually won top-level races in Meydan and Britain, as well as his homeland France, where he was trained ambitiously - and campaigned industriously – by the colourful Corine Barande-Barbe.
Barande-Barbe, who sumptuously referred to ‘Frankel the extra-terrestre’ ahead of their 2012 Ascot clash in which the Gallic challenger was a fine second to Sir Henry Cecil’s colossus, had a glorious way with words but clearly also held absolute trust in a horse who progressed from relatively humble beginnings.
Despite rising to be a champion in his own right, Cirrus Des Aigles always carried something of the underdog status, partly due to the fact he’d started out at such a low level and had seemingly been banging his head against a brick wall for the first two years of his career.
After making his debut in October 2008, it took him 19 starts in total before winning a Group race, while his first triumph at the very highest level came when defeating So You Think in the 2011 Champion Stakes.
The following year he beat St Nicholas Abbey in the Sheema Classic and bolted up by eight lengths in the Prix Ganay, after which it became a bit of a standing joke which domestic traders would react by introducing him into the betting for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, only for a hasty amend to the market due to the horse's ineligibility.
Cirrus Des Aigles was a gelding, a result of one of his testicles not fully descending and causing him discomfort within months of being snapped up cheaply as a yearling.
It was a blessing in a way (you can tell him), allowing his trainer to run him as often as she did without crippling fears of blotting a copybook or ruining a future stallion career, but also surely his biggest downfall in terms of legacy given the prospect of seeing him run in an Arc could never be fulfilled.
He stayed a mile and a half perfectly well, while his extraordinary record of 13 wins around Longchamp featured a short-neck verdict over a certain four-year-old Treve, who was in receipt of the 3lb sex allowance.
Clearly a case of ‘what if’, but still very much a horse who hit the heights regardless of Europe’s major prize always hanging agonisingly just out of reach.
Ben Linfoot – Zarkava
There have been some magnifiques chevaux in France in the modern era and so many of them have been fillies with Treve and Goldikova immediately springing to mind.
Treve won six times at Group One level including two glorious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphes, while she went out on her sword when fourth to Golden Horn as she attempted to become the first horse to win a third.
Goldikova won 14 Group Ones during a majestic career that saw her conquer top-level rivals domestically, as well as in England and at the Breeders’ Cup where she was the Queen of the Mile on three occasions.
Both were handled brilliantly by respective members of the Head family, Criquette and Freddy, and both undoubtedly fulfilled their potential.
But, in part by considering what Goldikova went onto achieve, just how good could Alain De Royer-Dupre’s Zarkava have been?
Owned and bred by the Aga Khan, Zarkava was pitched into a Group One on just her second start when she showed the 2007 Prix Marcel Boussac field a clean pair of hooves in what became her trademark style; held-up, made rapid headway, won readily.
Heavy ground didn’t blunt her brilliance on her reappearance at three and from there on in it was Group Ones all the way, in the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, the Prix de Diane, the Prix Vermeille and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
She beat Goldikova by two lengths over a mile in the Pouliches, something to ponder when considering that rival’s subsequent dominance over the trip, while there was such confidence in her in the Prix de Diane she went off at 1/3 despite racing over 10 furlongs for the first time.
Clearly blessed with lightning acceleration and an abundance of talent, her next test was a mile and a half, but she brushed aside John Gosden’s Dar Re Mi in the Vermeille, putting to bed any doubts about her stamina despite a slow start.
In her final appearance, in the Arc, she beat Youmzain by two lengths, just like Sea The Stars did a year later, and she became the first filly since STS’ dam, Urban Sea in 1993, to win the race and the first horse to win the Arc from stall one since Prince Royal in 1964.
An exceptional filly, she retired a perfect seven from seven with five of those wins at the top level.
If she had stayed in training would she have been as dominant as an older horse? We’ll never know, but she was an extraordinary talent and if she had raced on at four and made the Arc she'd have had to give Sea The Stars 5lb in a bid to go back-to-back at Longchamp.
It’s a testament to her career that such a difficult challenge isn’t as easily dismissed as it would be with 99.99 per cent of racehorses.
Send us your views
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Feedback from readers
Leonard Robertson: Hi folks. The triumphs of Sea Bird, Dahlia and the like are well known. My favourite is, however, Goldikova who I had the privilege of watching win two of her Breeders' Cup Mile races. She was stupendous. I must make honourable mention of Karakonite who helped considerably to defray my expenses in another Breeders' Cup Mile.
Michael Morris: To see a horse quicken twice in an Arc like Peintre Celebre did was amazing.
Dave Parker: Goldikova would be my pick, 14 Group Ones, her victories in the Breeders' Cup are summed up beautifully by the American commentator's "Here comes the French super-filly!"
I believe it was her third victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile and quite rightly she was a super filly.
Tony Harbour: I have three. My first choice is SUAVE DANCER. An absolutely brilliant winner of the French Derby who was fantastic on Arc day under one of my favourite jockeys Cash Asumussen.
Second choice is ARAZI. Sitting 2nd last in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile he produced the most amazing mid race move I have ever seen, destroying America's finest juveniles that year.
Finally, and in my opinion the best Flat racehorse I have ever seen - SEA BIRD. An easy winner of the Arc and watching him waltz around Epsom winning the Derby so effortlessly is a joy. What a horse he was and he is for me what Flat racing is all about.
Rob Torrie: Wwhere do you start... Zafonic what a turn of foot he had just going into the dip at Newmarket a sight to be hold and Pennekamp as well. But for me it was always the fillies Ma Biche 1000 she was special. But then you have Miesque. But for me the best one was All Along, beautiful filly in every way. The way she moved. But on records it would have to be Treve!
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