A VERY consistent sprinter, Markaz raced for three seasons, winning in each of them and he never finished out of the first six in 19 starts. He has inherited his grey colour from his sire Dark Angel and he is a good looking full-brother to the dual champion sprinting filly Mecca’s Angel.
Markaz was trained for his first two seasons by Barry Hills and then by Owen Burrows for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, who had paid £200,000 for him as a yearling. On his third start as a two-year-old he won over six furlongs at Ascot by a length and a quarter, then he was second in his other three outings that season, including the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket won by Maftool.
On his reappearance Markaz was fourth to Limato in the Group 3 Pavilion Stakes at Ascot, then third in the Listed King Charles Stakes at Newmarket and fourth to Adaay in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock. His turn came in the Group 3 Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket in June, which he won by a length and three quarters, before running second of 15 behind Limato in the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster, with Breton Rock, Cable Bay and Ivawood behind him.
In 2016 Markaz was third in the Listed Spring Trophy at Haydock, before winning the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes over six furlongs at Newcastle by a length from Pretend, with Buratino unplaced. Then, after a close fourth in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury, he was sent to Baden-Baden for the Group 2 Goldene Peitsche and even though he was bumped at the start he was beaten only by three-quarters of a length by the German star Donnerschlag.
Markaz is one of the best sons of Dark Angel, who won the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and has already sired 34 blacktype winners from his first six crops. Mecca’s Angel was the world champion female sprinter in 2016 and European champion in 2015, with two victories in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Other speedy sons of Dark Angel include Lethal Force and Gutaifan.
Folga, the dam of Markaz, was a listed-placed winner of six races, spread over three seasons. She is a half-sister to nine winners, among them Desert Kaya who won the Listed Prix de Lieurey at Deauville, while the next dam, Desert Dawn, scored in the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg at Longchamp. This is the American family of the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes winner Master Fiddle.
Won three races, £181,042, from 6 furlongs to 7 furlongs, 2 to 4 years including, Betfred Chipchase Stakes, Newcastle, Gr.3, John Sunley Memorial Criterion Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.3, also placed second in Goldene Peitsche powered by Burda@turf, Baden-Baden, Gr.2, Saint Gobain Weber Park Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.2, Somerville Tattersall Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.3, and third in Pertemps Network Spring Trophy Stakes, Haydock Park, L, mazerattan.com King Charles II Stakes, Newmarket, L.
Retires to stud in 2017. Stands at: Derrinstown Stud, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland.
Contact: Stephen Collins, Jimmy Lenehan or Enda Stanley
Telephone: +353 (0)1 6286228
Email: info@derrinstown.com
Web: www.derrinstown.com
Fee: €6,000