'It's quite incredible' - miracle mare makes history with record-breaking win

Zarica etched her name in French racing history at Marseille Pont de Vivaux on Tuesday evening when recording a 12th success for 2023.

In doing so she broke the record for wins in a calendar year dating back to Alips, a three-year-old filly who struck 11 times in 1996 for three different trainers in Stephane Wattel, Pascal Bary and Nicolas Clement. 

By contrast, Zarica is nine years old and clocked up all 17 runs this year for trainer Julien Phelippon, who admitted he thought the chance to beat the record had passed when she came back a sick horse from an eighth-placed finish at Clairefontaine in October.

"It looked a tall order after that to be able to have another crack at the record," said Phelippon, who took a break from training for 18 months in the wake of the Covid pandemic and sent out Zarica to be his first winner after taking his licence back out in September 2022. 

"However, through November she still seemed to have a lot of life in her and seemed like she was regaining her form so we started to prepare her for this race. There was additional pressure because she ran poorly the previous time and there was no time to run her back again before the end of the year.

"It would have been a shame to miss the record, although she has already given us so much this year you have to be happy."

Of Tuesday's victory, Phelippon added: "All through the race she looked the winner, so it was an easy watch.

"But once she had passed the post I was back under pressure because I needed to defend her against being claimed. If we’d lost her to another trainer that would have spoiled the party somewhat. Once the claiming was out of the way I could relax and enjoy the achievement."

Phelippon has plotted his way through the programme book, skillfully using claiming handicaps and a combination of jockeys he could claim off when necessary, and all the while only rising 9lb in the handicap.

During the autumn race for the record both Mickael Barzalona and Ronan Thomas contributed one victory each, before Zarica's regular pilot, Thomas Trullier, guided her to the magic 12th win, their sixth success of the season in tandem. 

"Above all I come from a background of punting and I’ve spent a lot of time watching how different trainers use the programme book, and I have tried to emulate the ones who have inspired me," said Phelippon. 

"The best thing about the story is that I am sure I have trained better horses than her during my career in terms of pure class. But she is a mare who has got better through winning races. A lot of horses grow weary through the effort of racing but the more she won, the more she wanted to go out and do it again.

"It’s quite incredible and certainly the first time I’ve sensed that with one of my horses."

The story of Zarica – who was bought privately from David Windrif's yard eight days before Phelippon restarted his training career – not only gives hope to all small owners, but has resonated with turfistes across France.

"What has been really touching is that, all year long, people have been sending me messages wishing her good luck before her races," said Phelippon. "You might think she’s an inspiration for small owners everywhere but all kinds of people have supported her and it’s why we love racing.

"To be able to follow the stories of small-time horses, it’s part of the magic of our sport."

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