Zarak, the leading sire in France, will miss the start of the European breeding season
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PARIS, France (Special to Turf Diario).– Unexpected news shook the European stallion market: Zarak, one of the most sought-after young sires on the continent, will miss the start of the 2026 breeding season after suffering an accident in his stall, as confirmed on February 17 by Aga Khan Studs.
The son of Dubawi and the unforgettable undefeated champion Zarkava (Zamindar) was set to face his second consecutive season with a fee of 80,000 euros at Haras de Bonneval, a figure reflecting his definitive consolidation within the European elite. The statement was clear and prudent: the stallion will require several weeks of recovery, and his status will be re-evaluated in two months. Further details regarding the nature of the accident were not provided, though the official tone suggests caution rather than alarmism.
Since retiring to stud in 2018, Zarak has done nothing but climb the ranks. With 22 individual group or graded stakes winners to date—including Metropolitan, Haya Zark, and Zagrey—his progression has been constant. He currently boasts a 10.7% stakes winners-to-runners ratio and a remarkable 72% winners-to-starters mark, figures that place him among the most efficient young sires on the market.
His influence has also been felt in the United States. Among his notable offspring are Laurelin—winner of the 2025 Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G2) and second in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1)—Parnac (Flower Bowl Stakes G2 2023), Village Voice (Waya Stakes G3 2025), and Flatten the Curve, winner of the Bowling Green Gold Cup.
For the Aga Khan program, the pause comes at a moment of full bloom. Zarak represents one of the great genetic continuities of his empire, a direct heir to a legendary line and backed by the commercial strength of Dubawi.
Now, the focus will be on his clinical evolution and the possibility of returning later in the calendar. The market will await updates, but the moderate optimism of the statement suggests that Zarak's story as a sire still has many chapters to be written.
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