Wootton Bassett's Zabiari Back to Best

A homebred for Aga Khan Studs, talented stallion Zabiari (4h Wootton Bassett x Zaridiya, by Duke of Marmalade) missed virtually his entire three year-old season in which he had just one start, but is now making up for lost time and won the Group III Prix Betrand du Breuil (1600m) at Chantilly on Sunday.

A Group winner at two, Zabiari has had three runs this year for Francis-Henri Graffard and won all of them showing an impressive turn of foot for Michael Barzalona to charge home and win by a neck.

Zabiari has five wins and two seconds from nine starts with the promise of more to come.

Zabiari is the best of three winners from stakes-placed Duke of Marmalade mare Zaridiya, whose Group III winning grand-dam Zarkiya is a half-sister to the dam of Arc winning 2008 European Horse of the Year Zarkava, the dam of Group I winning sire Zarak.

The same family will have a Royal Ascot runner this week with G1 winning three year-old filly Zarigana to run in the Coronation Stakes.

Wootton Bassett will be back in Australia this spring at a fee of $385,000.