Of the seven three-year-olds, the Mikel Delzangles-trained Kokaltash (Haafhd) boasts the best form to date. He was precocious enough to make his debut in July of his juvenile season, and broke his maiden at second asking, scoring by 2.5 lengths at Longchamp over a mile, on ground judged as “very heavy”. Stepped up straight to Stakes level, he ran a close third in the Listed Prix Isonomy over the same trip at Chantilly. This year, Kokaltash has won again and taken a gallant second to the progressive Nocturnal Secret in the Listed Prix Le Fabuleux over 1 1/8 mile. This lightly-raced colt hails from the family of High Chaparral.

Zayam (Shamardal) is another well-related winner. In training with Alain de Royer-Dupré, he did not run at two but pulled a clear-cut victory second time out, at Longchamp over 1950 metres (just short of 10 furlongs). He has only run three more times since, and narrowly missed the board on two occasions in hot Parisian maidens. This half-brother to Gr.3 Prix Daphnis hero and Gr.1 second Ziyarid, now a winner in Hong Kong as Cheers Joy, was last seen when fourth to subsequent Listed performer Permission Slip at Saint-Cloud over a mile and a half.

Masiyann (Anabaa), also from the yard of Alain de Royer-Dupré, is a winner at Chantilly over 1900 metres (1 mile and 1.5 furlong) and ran third to subsequent Prix du Jockey Club third Sky Hunter in a “B” conditions race at Maisons-Laffitte. His dam is a half-sister to Maralan, now a top class chaser in Ireland with two Group 2 victories to his name.

Zarkandar is one of the leading NH performers bred by the Aga Khan Studs, and he has a relative in the catalogue in Zarliman (Zamindar).

This Mikel Delzangles trainee is also by the same sire as Zarkandar’s half-sister, the illustrious Zarkava. His latest outing, October 8th, saw him take third to a highly-regarded filly in a mile maiden at Bordeaux. This was only his third career start.