DOUBLE FOR MOTHERS DAY "ZARKAVA"

Good morning again, I am suggesting a double for today Rat Burana and Zarkava, don.t normally tip in France, but this race has proper betting and not tote only!
At 12/10 and 13/20 should get around 5/2.

Zarkava This filly could be the star of 2008 and what she has done so far certainly points to a Classic success. She has never been extended in three races and acts on all types of ground, although a good surface would be preferred. All her victories have been over 1m at this track. She coasted home first time out and then excelled in the Marcel Boussac after traffic problems in the straight. Her acceleration was electrifying on that occasion, and also on heavy ground when she took the Prix de la Grotte. Looks in a class of her own.

I am off to keep Mrs S happy!


scotia

Zarkava runs again today in France, and could move up the betting boards to join New Approach and Soldier of Fortune as one of the favs for the ARC.

I expect another easy win,


France, Sunday

15:15 (GMT) Chantilly: Prix De Diane (Group 1) 1m2f 110yds (Fillies)


ZARKAVA bids to complete a Classic double at Chantilly on Sunday, and could well be followed home three of her stable mates as trainer Alain Royer-Dupre is saddles 4 of the 13 runners.

The daughter of Zamindar, who will have Sanjida as a pacemaker, showed blistering acceleration to take the Prix Marcel Boussac and more recently the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, achieving an average winning distance of two and a quarter lengths.

Certain to start a hot favourite, Royer-Dupres superstar could become the first filly to land the Pouliches/Diane double since Divine Proportions in 2005.

Unbeaten in four starts, the Aga Khan-owned filly will be joined by two more of her owners' steeds in Belle Et Celebre and Leo's Starlet, giving Royer-Dupre, who has won this four times for connections, an outstanding chance of filling the podium.

The former won the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary and could give Ioritz Mendizabal a Jockey-Club/Diane double.

This feat was achieved last year by Frankie Dettori on Lawman and West Wind.

He will be on Leo's Starlet who she stayed the distance well when picking up the Prix Cleopatre at Saint-Cloud last month.


There has not been an English runner in either this year's Jockey-Club or Diane but the Irish have been present in both Classics, Famous Name only failing by a head in the former last week.

Jim Bolger relies on his wife Jackie's Prima Luce.

The daughter of Galileo will be attempting this distance for the first time but begun the season well, winning the Athasi Stakes at the Curragh.

Aidan O'Brien saddles Kitty Matcham, ridden by Seamus Heffernan as Johnny Murtagh has chosenCoolmore's Saint-Alary runner-up Gagnoa.

Andre Fabre, looking for a fourth Diane, brings Gagnoa, bought by Coolmore during the winter, and Proviso for Khalid Abdullah.

The daughter of Dansili has not quite struck form this season but was running on when third in the Prix Vanteaux last time out.

The winner of that event, Belle Allure, reopposes here and will be the second Diane runner for the young Chantilly based English born trainer Rupert Pritchard-Gordon.

The Wertheimer colours, successful in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains with Falco, will be looking for compensation with the Olivier Peslier ridden Goldikova, who ran on a gallant second in the Pouliches having stumbled coming out of the stalls.

Jean-Claude Rouget, still looking for his first Classic winner at Chantilly, has high hopes for Satan's Circus, partnered by Christophe Lemaire, given she has already won twice in the provinces this season and is on a four timer.

Clerk of the course Mathieu Vincent posted the going on Saturday morning as 3.4 (good to soft).

"We could have the odd drop of rain before the Diane meeting but nothing heavy is forecast. The sun is expected to shine tomorrow but it won't be a hot day so I expect the going to remain at around good to soft."

AS GOOD as New Approach was in the Derby, Zarkava emerged as easily the most impressive Classic winner of the weekend with an imperious display to win the Prix de Diane at Chantilly on Sunday.

The Aga Khan's filly crushed her 12 rivals and her next big target could well be the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October.

William Hill quote Zarkava at 7-1 for the Arc, while Bet365 go 8-1 (from 12).

The daughter of Zamindar was giving both the Aga Khan and trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre their fifth success in the French Oaks. On board, Christophe Soumillon was toying with the others throughout the three-furlong straight.

Zarkava passed the post three lengths clear of the brave Gagnoa, who stayed on in the final stages, ahead of Goldikova and Proviso. The Irish-trained fillies Prima Luceand Kitty Matcham finished tenth and 12th.

Zarkava is now unbeaten in five races and has yet to be in the slightest bit extended. Soumillon was never in a hurry and just asked his willing partner to cruise around the final turn before coming up the centre of the track and taking control at the one and a half furlong marker.

Royer-Dupre said: "This filly is out of the ordinary and the best of her sex I've ever trained."

The Aga Khan said: “Why not the Arc de Triomphe now? We need some time to think about it, of course, and to see how the filly comes out of the race but the Arc is certainly not excluded."

Royer-Dupre added: "She must have a prep before but I don't want her to have one over 12 furlongs, which is the same distance as the Arc. Itmust be something like ten furlongs, but I don't want her to race at Deauville.

"She is really an exceptional filly, and I've never really had any problems with her. She now deserves a rest before an autumn campaign."

Zarkava was winning her thirdGroup 1 event, but it doesn't look like she will ever clash with the 1,000 Guineas heroine Natagora, who is heading for the 1m Prix d'Astarte at Deauville.

It was a second Diane success for Soumillon, who partnered Latice to victory in 2004.

He said: "I really didn't have to do much. She was beautifully prepared by Alain de Royer-Dupre and his team, who have managed to calm the filly down.

"She was at the top of her game today and all I had to do was a guiding job. Zarkava was in a class of her own and she would have won the Jockey-Club if she'd run in it last week.

"As she stayed the ten and a half furlongs well at Chantilly, it is pretty certain she will get the 12 furlongs at Longchamp. I still consider her my feminine Dalakhani."

That colt, of course, won both the Jockey-Club and the Arc de Triomphe with Soumillon in the saddle.

There were also plenty of outside compliments about Zarkava.

Jockey Davy Bonilla said: "I was following her on Belle Allure and she had us all stitched up entering the straight."

Gagnoa's part-owner Michael Tabor said: "Zarkava is a super filly and something really special."

Of Gagnoa he added: "We were delighted with her performance and she will be better over a mile and a half. The programme now is probably the Irish Oaks and then the Prix Vermeille later in the season."

Johnny Murtagh rode the daughter of Sadler's Wells, who was bought by Coolmore over the winter and is trained by Andre Fabre.

He said: "We had a very good race and followed Zarkava all the time. Gagnoa will be better over a mile and a half, and on softer ground."

Goldikova played up a little before the start but she did little wrong during the race.

Given every chance by Olivier Peslier, she made her run up the far rail and Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager to the owners the Wertheimer Brothers, said: "We were very happy and she ran up to her best form. We were beaten by the very best and our filly will now have a break, as she has earned it."

Stephane Pasquier offered no excuses for Proviso, while Kevin Manning said of the Jim Bolger-trained Prima Luce: "The going was too fast for her, as it had dried out a bit too much."

Montmartre all but out of Arc

ALAIN DE ROYER-DUPRE has virtually ruled Montmartre out of a tilt at the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on October 5.

The Aga Khan's colt was a deeply impressive winner of the Grand Prix de Paris winner at Longchamp after which he was promoted to favouritism for the Arc.

However, speaking at Deauville on Sunday, his trainer said: "We haven't now really got enough time to prepare him for the Arc de Triomphe."

However the trainer does still have a major contender for the Arc in the shape of the brilliant and unbeaten filly "Zarkava" who is also being prepared for the Arc by way of the Prix Vermeille.

Royer-Dupre said: "Zarkava is just fine."