THE high-class sprinter Markaz raced for three seasons, winning in each of them, including group races at Newmarket and Newcastle, and he was never out of the first six in 19 starts. Inheriting his grey colour from his sire Dark Angel, he is a good looking full-brother to the dual champion sprint filly Mecca’s Angel. Retired to Derrinstown in 2017, his first foals made some good prices last autumn, with 60,000gns and 40,000gns for colts at Newmarket, while another fetched €65,000 at Goffs.
Markaz was trained by Barry Hills for his first two seasons and then by Owen Burrows for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, who had paid £200,000 for him as a yearling, one of the four highest prices of the 2013 Doncaster Premier Sale. Third time out as a two-year-old he won the Helical Bar Stakes over six furlongs at Ascot by over a length, then he was second in his other three outings that season, including the Group 3 Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket, won by Maftool.
Returning to action, 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. It was his turn in the Group 3 Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket in June, which he won by a length and three quarters from Hors De Combat, 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, then won 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 went to Baden-Baden for the Group 2 Goldene Peitsche. Even though he was bumped at the start he was beaten only by three-quarters of a length by the German champion Donnerschlag.
Markaz is one of the best sons of the very successful young sire Dark Angel who won the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes and has already sired 48 blacktype winners from his first eight crops. Mecca’s Angel, the full-sister to Markaz, 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 Battaash, Harry Angel and Lethal Force, all European champion sprinters.
Folga, dam of Markaz and Mecca’s Angel, won 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 and the Listed Trafalgar House Sprint Stakes at Sandown Park.
This is the American family of the Grade 1 Wood Memorial Stakes winner Master Fiddle.
MARKAZ (IRE). Won three races, £169,645, 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.
Retired to Stud in 2017, first crop now yearlings.
Stands at: Derrinstown Stud, Maynooth, Co Kildare, Ireland.
Contact: Stephen Collins, Jimmy Lenehan, Enda Stanley, Rosie Kane and Kay Skehan
Telephone: +353 (0)1 6286228
Email: info@derrinstown.com
Web: www.derrinstown.com
Fee: €6,000, SLF