Godolphin’s Sajjhaa exuded class in Thursday’s Group 2, $200,000 Cape Verdi
at Meydan, highlighting a three-win night for the royal blue silks. Much the
best on paper, the Saeed bin Suroor mare translated that dominance onto the
racecourse with a 3 3/4-length victory.
Although Sajjhaa had three previous stakes scores to her credit as a younger
filly, the six-year-old is perhaps best identified with a pair of runner-up
efforts in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes at York. She was a fine second to Midday
there two years ago, and filled the same spot behind Izzi Top back on the
Knavesmire in 2012. That level of form was some way ahead of her Cape Verdi
rivals, even though Sajjhaa had not actually won a race since July 2011.
Stablemate Dark Orchid was employed as a pacemaker, while jockey Silvestre de
Sousa maneuvered Sajjhaa from the outside post into a stalking spot within
striking distance of the leader. The Mike de Kock-trained Amanee was also
tracking Dark Orchid along the rail. Rounding the turn, de Sousa moved up on
Sajjhaa and cleverly boxed Amanee in. Now short of room, Amanee attempted to
thread the needle at the top of the stretch, only to find no gap and get bounced
around.
Meanwhile, First City, winless since taking last year’s Cape Verdi, unleashed
a strong move wider out to strike the front. But Sajjhaa was just revving into
top gear, and soon dethroned the defending champion and pulled right away.
Sajjhaa negotiated the metric mile on good turf in 1:36.68, advancing her
scorecard to 14-5-4-0, $365,292.
“She is a nice mare who never runs a bad race,” bin Suroor said, “and we
thought she would be hard to beat as she had been working very well and has
thrived in the Dubai weather. We will be back in four weeks for the Balanchine
Stakes (Group 2 at about nine grassy furlongs February 21).”
Amanee eventually peeled out and regrouped to take second by 1 1/4 lengths
from First City. Falls of Lora checked in fourth, followed by Dark Orchid,
Naseem Alyasmeen, Spellwork and Forever Snow.
Initially trained by Michael Jarvis, Sajjhaa romped in her career debut at
three, earning a tilt at the Group 1 Epsom Oaks. But the classic was a case of
too much, too soon, and she was eased when soundly beaten. Sajjhaa was stronger
over the second half of her 2010 campaign, capturing the Group 3 Premio Sergio
Cumani and Dick Hern Fillies’ Stakes and missing by a nose in the Rosemary
Handicap.
Sajjhaa joined Godolphin for her four-year-old season in 2011, with her best
results being her runner-up effort to Midday and a victory in the Lyric Stakes
at York. She raced only three times last year. After resuming with another
second in the May 17 Middleton, Sajjhaa was not seen again until the Group 1
Premio Lydia Tesio in October, where she wound up fourth on heavy going. She
bounced back with a strong performance in the November 10 Gillies at Doncaster,
opening up a sizeable lead before being caught late by Cubanita.
Bred by Darley in Great Britain, Sajjhaa is by King’s Best and out of the
winning Darshaan mare Anaamil. Her second dam is Group 3 heroine Noushkey, the
runner-up in the 1999 Oaks. This is the family of Group 1 star Alkaased,
record-setting winner of the Grade 1 Japan Cup in 2005.
Earlier on the card, bin Suroor and de Sousa had teamed up to land a turf
handicap with Masteroftherolls. Sweeping to the lead in midstretch, the son of
Refuse to Bend shortened stride late, but still had three-quarters of a length
to spare over the closing Burano.
The hard-luck story of the race was Mushreq, who was stuck in traffic on the
rail and couldn’t extricate himself until it was too late. The de Kock charge
rallied once in the clear for an eye-catching fourth. His trouble was an omen
for stablemate Amanee in a tough night for the de Kock camp.
Masteroftherolls, who was winning for the first time for Godolphin, stopped
the teletimer in 1:49 1/5 for about 1 1/8 miles.
“That was a decent effort in what appeared a competitive race,” de Sousa
said. “We have made a bright start to the Carnival and the horses remain in good
form.”
Masteroftherolls won twice for original trainer Andre Fabre in 2011, and
ended his sophomore campaign with a fifth to Desert Blanc in the Prix de
Tourgeville. Subsequently switched to Godolphin, he placed in two handicaps at
last year’s Dubai Carnival and was exiting a third in an October 6 handicap at
Newmarket.
Godolphin’s third winner of the evening was Mandaean from the Mahmood al
Zarooni yard. Once a classic hopeful who endured a forgettable 2012, the Manduro
colt signaled that he’s back on track by slicing between foes and defeating
Don’t Call Me by 1 1/2 lengths. Under Mickael Barzalona, Mandaean posted a final
time of 1:36.60, decimally faster than Sajjhaa in the Cape Verdi.
Mandaean is another former Fabre pupil. Unbeaten from two starts as a
juvenile, he advertised his potential with a score in the Group 1 Criterium de
Saint-Cloud. Mandaean was then transferred to al Zarooni, but his classic hopes
were snuffed out with a remote sixth in the Group 2 Dante last May. He
resurfaced in the fall and turned in two more unplaced efforts in the Group 3
Prix du Prince d’Orange and Group 3 Darley Stakes.
The trainer/jockey tandem of Satish Seemar and Richard Mullen combined for
two wins on the night. In the opener, Bay Willow repeated his front-running coup
of January 3 when once again dictating throughout in a Tapeta handicap. The
gelded son of Singspiel got away with ludicrously slow splits and held on by a
half-length from Layali al Andalus. The clocking of 2:20 4/5 for about 1 3/8
miles told the tale.
“Nobody was keen to go on, so I was happy to after his win from the front
last time,” Mullen offered, “and I was happy to go for home from a long way out
as stamina was certainly not an issue. It was a good win and he has been a
revelation since employing these tactics.”
Mullen showed a different kind of tactical acumen when guiding
Reynaldothewizard from just off the pace in a sprint handicap. As the tearaway
pacesetter Ganas grew tired and increasingly vulnerable, Reynaldothewizard was
on the premises with a well-timed pounce. Balmont Mast also rolled late, but
Reynaldothewizard pocketed the half-length decision. Sharpened up by the
addition of blinkers here, the winner covered about six Tapeta furlongs in 1:11
1/5.
“We have always thought he could win a good race on the big stage, and
finally he has,” Mullen said. “He stays 1400 meters well, so the fast gallop has
helped and he stayed on well. We put blinkers on to try and sharpen him up after
a lackluster return and it has worked.”
Macau shipper Elderly Paradise furnished the lone victory for the
internationals in an about 1 1/4-mile Tapeta handicap.
In a paceless affair, the Man Chau Tam trainee went straight to the lead for
Christophe Soumillon. He deferred to Ostinato on the backstretch, but the tempo
was still pedestrian, and Elderly Paradise had plenty left for the drive.
Quickening smartly turning into the homestretch, the Danewin gelding kicked
clear and safely held the belated Jamr by 1 1/4 lengths. Elderly Paradise
crossed the wire in 2:07 3/5, reflecting the early crawl.
“He did that very nicely,” Tam said. “He has got used to the track after his
first start when he finished second, and now everything depends on how he comes
out of this race.”
Elderly Paradise is the top horse in Macau, having won two-thirds of its
Triple Crown in 2012 — the Macau Derby and Gold Cup — by 17 1/2 lengths
combined. He had won his last two at his home base before finishing a useful
second in his Dubai premiere last Thursday.
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