This is the story of one that got away.

Last November Peter Nolan Bloodstock consigned the then 10-year-old Marju mare Zawariq to the Goffs November Sale. The dam of a hurdle winner from three runners, she was a half-sister to six winners, with the catalogue noting that she also had a yearling half-brother by Dark Angel.

Zawariq was sold in foal to Camacho, a stakes-winning son of Danehill that was back in Ireland at Morristown Lattin Stud and standing at a fee of €7,500. He had stood in England for a season but his stock were doing very well and his fee had risen from £2,750 in 2013. His half-brother Showcasing’s first runners had also hit the track running and resulted in his fee for 2015 rising to £15,000.

Zawariq is a good looking individual, as she was sold to Shadwell as a yearling for €210,000, the second highest price paid for a yearling by her sire that year. She ran twice without troubling the judge however and was eventually to find her way to the breeding shed. Her second foal, and only winner to date, is the Footstepsinthesand five-year-old gelding Rockabilly Riot and he added a win on the flat this year. He has an unraced two-year-old full-brother, Al Fouz, with Charlie Fellowes in Newmarket that was bought by Charlie Gordon-Watson as a yearling last year for €28,000 at Tattersalls Ireland.

In spite of a number of attractions, Zawariq was knocked down at Goffs for just €4,000 – a little over half her covering sire’s fee. She was bought by Dr Ali Almutairi and just before Christmas last year made her way to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. That may have, in many cases, meant the last we would hear of her. So why does she come up on our radar again?

The Dark Angel half-brother mentioned earlier was sold last year for €75,000 by Eimear Mulhern and her mother Maureen Haughey at Goffs and made his way to Richard Hannon’s yard. The colt, now named Gutaifan, was beaten on his debut at Goodwood but followed up with wins in a maiden and a conditions race before being sent to France to contest the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin. With Frankie Dettori on board, the Al Shaqab runner won in a tight finish and gave his rider a first winner in the race.

Sean Levey replaced Dettori for the ride next time out as the Italian was partnering Shalaa and Gutaifan gave a great account of himself to finish runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Morny. Given the fact that Shalaa has been described by Dettori as the best juvenile he has ever ridden, Gutaifan’s performance is even more meritorious.

Yesterday Gutaifan upheld the form by winning the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster.

It has also boosted the value of his half-sister, who produced what Dr Almutairi described as a filly with “excellent conformation” by Camacho. Zawariq was not covered this year but will surely be considered for repatriation to Europe and a mating with a quality stallion in 2016. Dr Almutairi could find himself being a very popular man when he returns to the sales in the autumn.