Showing posts with label Kempton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kempton. Show all posts

Sunday, 21 June 2020

Frankel Watch: Ghaaliya Wins on Debut at Kempton for Brian Meehan


Who says every Frankel offspring wins at prohibitive odds? 

OK, I know you didn't say it...

Brian Meehan has started this belated two-year-old racing season in fine form with three winners, which is bordering on supersonic as he's only had four runners. 

For the aficionados, they are Talbot, Jimmy Sparks (both second start), and Ghaaliya who we put centre stage because we are talking about all things Frankel. 

For reference, another of his juveniles, Imperial Fora, finished second, losing by a neck. 

Anyway, we know our two-year-old racing and we love to see those Frankel offspring hitting the headlines. 

Ghaaliya is a bay daughter of Frankel out of the mare Shumoos. 

I'm sure a number of readers can remember this mare because she was similarly trained by Meehan back in 2011. She made a scorching debut when thrashing her opponents by four-and-a-half lengths, backed to 15/2 from an opening price of 8/1, touching 10/1. 

I can remember watching that debut at Haydock over 5f. 

The race reporter for the Racing Post said: ''Green to post, raced keenly, held up, headway over 2f out, soon switched left to track leaders, switched right over 1f out, quickened to lead inside final furlong, shot clear final 100yds, impressive.''

She was an expensive yearling purchase at $375,000, racing in the ownership of Fawzi Abdulla Naas.  

Shumoos was one of those horses you would love to own. 

On the back of her sparkling debut, she was made 6/5f to win the Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2) at Royal Ascot. She finished second best but lost nothing in defeat by a short-head to Best Terms, trained by Richard Hannon Snr, a horse that would also go on to win the Lowther Stakes. 

For the rest of her two-year-old season, she campaigned at pattern class. A head victory at Kempton, when winning the Sirenia Stakes (Group 3), was well deserved after a splendid effort finishing third in the Cherry Hinton (Group 2) and disappointment when unplaced in the Lowther when too keen and then hampered. 

Concluding the British season, she was unplaced in the Cheveley Park Stud (Group 1). 

However, on the 4th November, she would face a stiff challenge heading across the pond to race at Churchill Downs (USA) when contesting the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint on the dirt. 

Keeping on strongly at the line in an incredible race, she finished a gallant runner-up, losing by one length, to Bob Baffert's 4/7 favourite Secret Circle. A real tribute to this classy filly, taking on a field full of colts, with only a 3lb sex allowance. 

She remained in training in the US with Ben Cecil. However, there must have been serious problems because Shumoos didn't race for almost 500 days. She concluded her four-year-old career with four starts and retired to be a broodmare. 

In a racing career of just 11 starts, she achieved two wins and placed five times. With a highest official rating of 109 she had total earnings of £120,145. 

Like mother like daughter, it was great to see Ghaaliya win on debut at Kempton at odds of 14/1. Although showing signs of inexperience and greenness, she powered clear in the final two-furlong before slightly pulling herself up to beat Rhoda's Choice by a head, the third two-and-a-quarter lengths behind. 

Well done to connections.

Photo: Shumoos, far left, when third in the Cherry Hinton Stakes (Group 2) at Newmarket 2011 

Tuesday, 3 September 2019

Which Horse is the Best 2yo Frankel Filly of 2019?


Now there's a question. 

Frankel Blog isn't scared to make a prediction. So far this season we have seen a number of very talented Frankel offspring. Many quality juveniles have led the way and maintain the highest standards of what can only be described as a stallion who has always broken records. 

This season we have detailed those up-and-coming two-year-olds from stables big and small. 

One trainer who has a wealth of Frankels is Sir Michael Stoute. In fact, the post detailing 10 Frankel 2yos for him this 2019 has been one of our most popular. It's had almost 500 pageview, which for a little blog like ours is good going. 

If you search the internet and keywords regarding Frankel you will notice we are top-ranked for many. 

Anyway, enough about all that stuff. We had best get back to our prediction about the best of Frankel's two-year-old filly to be seen this 2019 Flat turf season. 

It will come as no surprise to see that our prediction is trained by Sir Michael Stoute in the ownership of Cheveley Park Stud. This beautifully-bred chestnut Frankel filly (a homebred) is out of a winning mare similarly owned and trained called Safina. 

The filly in question is called Melnikova. 

Readers may have noticed this flying filly made a winning debut at Kempton back in early August (5th August). 

It is memorable, not only for the win but the fact that Sir Michael Stoute had two Frankel fillies contesting the same race on debut with Tanita (the shorter in the betting of the two horses priced 9/2) looking like the winner until Melnikova pounced late as she gathered her stride, leading in the final few yards to win from Stylistique (trained by Roger Varian) by a neck from Tanita a further head behind. 

Melnikova was backed from 10/1 returning 8/1, to take the win prize money of £5,822.10 (Plus 10 Race). James Doyle rode a great race with the filly taking the 7f the Matchbook/British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Novice Stakes without realising she had a race. 

Make no mistake, this is one of the best, if not the best, two-year-old at Freemason Lodge Stables.

She has been entered for four high-class races including the bet365 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket to take place on 11th October 3:35 (Newmarket, Rowley Mile). This contest has a winning prize of £283,550. 

Melnikova may be seen running her second race on the 6th of September. This Class 3 7f Novice Stakes takes place at Kempton. At the time of writing, 31 fillies have been declared. 

You can take a look at the declaration here to see if she makes the final line up. 

In addition to the Fillies Mile (Group 1), she has received entries for:

Saturday, 7th September 3:00 Haydock - Ascendant Stakes (Listed Race) 1-mile.

Friday, 27th September at Newmarket 3:00 Shadwell Rockfell Stakes (Group 2) 7f.  



Exciting times. I'm predicting this horse will be heading for the 1,000 Guineas. 

Good luck to connections.