Two Group victories over a mile for the Gilltown sire. Sea The Stars’ spectacular season shows no sign of slowing down and the in-form stallion signed a Group double at the weekend. The highlight was a most convincing victory for his son Zelzal in the Gr 1 Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly on Sunday. A fifth winner at the highest level for his sire, Zelzal is the first to score in this category over a mile, after the Classic successes of Harzand, Taghrooda and Sea The Moon, and Vazira’s win in the Prix Saint-Alary over 10 furlongs.

Zelzal looks top class after his dominating performance in the Prix Jean Prat, and now counts four wins from five starts, with his only faux pas when unsuited by the straight mile in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains. The colt showed an electric turn of foot when taking the lead in the Jean Prat, and he established new record time of 1’34’’48 for the contest. His trainer Jean-Claude Rouget commented, « I don’t know where he will go next. His strength is his acceleration so we will play to that. »

A son of winning Kingmambo mare Olga Prekrasa, Zelzal was purchased by Al Shaqab Racing for 180,000 Euros at Arqana in October 2014.

The Aga Khan Studs sires were also to the fore in the Prix Jean Prat thanks to the excellent third place of Siyouni’s daughter Spectre. This German-trained filly lifted the Gr 3 Prix Imprudence in April.

Zelzal provided the second half of a Group double for Sea The Stars as on Saturday Mutakayyef recorded his second win in as many outings this year when taking the Gr 2 Summer Mile at Ascot, also in commanding style. The five-year-old Mutakayyef is ultra-consistent, never having finished outside the first three in twelve races, and he holds an entry in the Gr 1 International Stakes.

To cap a successful weekend, Sea The Stars’ three-quarter brother Born To Sea, signed his first British or Irish winner as Sea Of Grace opened her account at Tipperary. The filly carries the colours of the Tsui family’s Sunderland Holdings, who purchased Sea Of Grace for 260,000 Euros as an Arqana yearling last August. Trainer John Oxx indicated that the progressive Sea Of Grace could now be aimed towards the Gr 3 Silver Flash Stakes, and she is also entered in the Gr 1 Phoenix Stakes and Moyglare Stud Stakes later in the season. Sea Of Grace is Born To Sea’s second winning progeny, after his son Seatown won in Denmark in June.

Updated on 11/07/2016.