Haya Zark struck a blow for his unheralded connections April 28 and boosted his profile as much more than a mudlover by landing a Prix Ganay (G1) in which the first five home were covered by just three-quarters of a length.
Trained by Adrien Fouassier in Senonnes—the training center in the west of France from where Louisa Carberry sent out Docteur De Ballon to land the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris on two occasions—Haya Zark was settled on the shoulder of the front-running Zarakem by Alexis Pouchin and proved the toughest of nuts to crack as a wave of high-profile names came at him inside the final furlong.
At odds of 19-1, he held off another outsider, Zarir, by a head, with group 1 winners Feed The Flame, Al Riffa, and Horizon Dore all in close attendance.
Owner-breeder Odette Fau said: "Nobody gave us a chance. We almost felt beaten beforehand because people said the ground wasn't heavy enough for him and that he was up against good horses he couldn't beat. Even (French television) Equidia didn't want to talk about him; they talked about all the others."
Madame Fau has been here before, notably with Haya Landa, a sister to Haya Zark's dam who finished fourth in the 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at odds of 150-1.
"That really isn't his ground out there, so we thought we might be third or second, but he's proved he's a good horse and we did the right thing by keeping him," Fau said. "Alexis gave him a wonderful ride. He's such a solid citizen, so tough, he just never gives up."
Pouchin has picked up in 2024 right where he left off at the end of his breakthrough year, adding a fourth career group 1 on a horse who takes some knowing and on whom he had never sat on before this win.
"Christophe (Soumillon) gave me a lot of confidence in telling me he's a horse you can let stride on, so I just left him on a long rein and he relaxed beautifully," said Pouchin. "It's incredible to win a group 1 this early in the season. I try not to put myself under pressure, I just ride my horses for themselves."
Francis Graffard almost pulled off a major coup with the gelded Zarir, who has been running over staying trips but is certainly bred to be running in middle-distance group 1s.
"He's confirmed he's as good as we thought," said Graffard. "He's shown he's competitive at this level and we know he stays further. I think, with his turn of foot, he'll be even better on quicker ground."
Feed The Flame took a major step forward from his comeback fifth in the Prix d'Harcourt and validated the faith shown in him by his rider Cristian Demuro.
"After last time the least disappointed among us was Cristian," said trainer Pascal Bary. "He told us the ground was much too heavy for him and the horse has shown that to be right today. That was the real Feed The Flame, he really showed his acceleration. There are plenty of races for him over this trip and 2,400 meters (a mile and a half)."
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