Xaar

Xaar (14 March 1995 – 16 May 2021) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for his performances as a two-year-old in 1997. In his juvenile season, he won four of his five races, including the Prix de Cabourg and Prix de la Salamandre in France and the Dewhurst Stakes in England. In 1998, he won the Craven Stakes on his debut, but was beaten in his remaining three races. After two further defeats in 1999, he was retired to stud, where he had limited success as a sire of winners. Background Xaar was a very dark-coated bay horse with a white star and strip bred in Britain by Khalid Abdulla's Juddmonte Farms. He was sired by the 2000 Guineas winner Zafonic out of Monroe, a mare who won the Ballyogan Stakes. Monroe's dam, Best In Show, is the ancestor of numerous major winners including El Gran Senor, Jazil, and Rags to Riches. Xaar was sent into training with André Fabre at Chantilly. Racing career 1997:two-year-old season Xaar made his first racecourse appearance at Maisons Laffitte on 17 June. Ridden by Thierry Jarnet, he won the 1200-metre Prix de la Saône by four lengths from six opponents. In August, the colt was moved up in class for the Group Three Prix de Cabourg at Deauville in which he was ridden for the first time by Olivier Peslier who became his regular jockey for the next two seasons. Starting the 7/10 favourite, Xaar took the lead 150 metres from the finish and won by one and a half lengths from Chargé d'Affaires. He was expected to follow up with a win in the Group One Prix Morny over the same course and distance but after briefly taking the lead in the closing stages, he was overtaken and beaten a head by Chargé d'Affaires.