Champion 2yo colt in Europe, Champion 3yo in Europe, rated Timeform 130 – no doubt Zafonic (Gone West) was among the best, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Zafonic
His three and a half length win over subsequent Irish 2000 Guineas/Breeders Cup Mile winner Barathea in the 1993 2000 Guineas had to be seen to be believed, the win inviting comparisons to past Guineas greats Dancing Brave and El Gran Senor. Sadly, Zafonic had just one subsequent outing following that classic triumph, in the G1 Sussex Stakes when he broke a bloodvessel.
Zafonic, undefeated Cartier Champion at two, was the first Mr Prospector line colt to land the 2000 Guineas, a feat subsequently replicated by King’s Best (Kingmambo), Henrythenavigator (Kingmambo), Makfi (Dubawi) and Night Of Thunder (Dubawi).
Retired to stud in 1994, Juddmonte owned and bred Zafonic made a splash with his very first crop, which included Cartier Champion 2yo Xaar. While unable to maintain this flying start, Zafonic did establish himself as a reliable source of pattern race winners, with 50-plus stakes winners including 23 graded stakes winners.
Zafonic
Zafonic died in a paddock accident while shuttling to Arrowfield Stud in 2002 when just 12 years old, but his legacy looks set to continue through his many sire sons and broodmare daughters.
One of Zafonic’s best sons is Iffraaj, whose latest feat was to have the 1-3 finishers in last week’s Gr1 New Zealand Derby, Gingernuts and Jon Snow. The winner Gingernuts, (whose pedigree carries 3-part brothers Nijinsky II and The Minstrel – the latter damsire of Zafonic) is one of seven Gr1 winners for his sire.
Iffraaj’s son Wootton Bassett sired Almanzor, whose eight career wins include the French Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Champion Stakes. Almanzor was the 4th best Racehorse of 2016 in the official World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, at 129 putting him 5 pounds behind US champion Arrogate and 3 pounds inferior to Australian supermare Winx.
Zafonic’s best son at stud in South Africa is Gr1 Gran Criterium winner Count Dubois. He sired Equus Champions French Navy and Asylum Seeker, and made headlines earlier this year when Edict Of Nantes won the Gr1 Investec Cape Derby.
Count Dubois’ good son Edict Of Nantes wins the Investec Cape Derby
Count Dubois, whose Guineas winning son Biarritz is also at stud, had an eye catching debut winner this weekend with Social Order, scorching home to score by nearly five lengths. Social Order, like Gingernuts, carries the names of ¾ brothers Nijinsky and The Minstrel in his pedigree.
Another South African based son of Zafonic, Modus Vivendi, made his mark as sire of Equus Champion Dancewiththedevil.
Zafonic’s champion, Xaar, proved a disappointment after his blistering 2yo career (Xaar lost just once in five starts at two and was Cartier Champion of his year), winning just once after his 2yo campaign. Xaar failed by and large to live up to expectations at stud, his sole Gr1 winner being Xtension (Champions Mile).
Harzand – the star
Now retired from stud duties, Xaar is showing up as a sire of broodmares. His daughters produced 2016 Investec Derby winner Harzand (Sea The Stars) and fairy-tale filly Yankee Rose (All American). Yankee Rose, who cost just A$10k as a yearling, races for a partnership of twenty owners, has earned over A$2 million in stakes, and made history when as the first filly to win the Gr1 Spring Champion Stakes.
Another son of Zafonic, Trade Fair, sired high class Trade Storm who won over £1 million racing in England, Dubai, USA and Canada.
Well supported by high class mares, especially early in his career, Zafonic always looked likely to do well as a broodmare sire.
Sea The Stars – Vazira’s champion
To date his daughters have produced eight Gr1 winners, including Takedown (Stratum), Izzi Top (Pivotal), Zambezi Sun (Dansili), Awzaan (Alhaarth), Sultanina (New Approach), Vazira (Sea The Stars), Vadawina (Unfuwain), and Zafisio (Efisio).
Zafonic is also broodmare sire of young sire Showcasing (Oasis Dream), whose stud fee has risen from £15.000 to £35.000 in the past few seasons.
Showcasing (whose offspring include dual Gr1 winning filly Quiet Reflection) was New Zealand’s Leading First Crop Sire and Leading Sire of 2yos in 2014-2015.
Zafonic is full brother to successful sire Zamindar (sire of champion fillies Zarkava and Darjina), and half brother to the dams of champions Elmaamul (Diesis) and Reams Of Verse (Nureyev) and of sire Modern Day (Dayjur) who stood in South Africa.
