Daahyeh Santa Anita-Bound with Rockfel Win

[Wandering Eyes]

Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s Daahyeh (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) boasted the best form heading in to the G2 Shadwell Rockfel S. at Newmarket on Friday and she produced her consistent best to complete the task of garnering a “Win and You’re In” ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Successful in the June 21 G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot and runner-up in the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. on the July Course here July 12 and the G1 Moyglare Stud S. at The Curragh Sept. 15, the 11-8 favourite waited behind the leading quartet early before delivering a surge to take over passing the two-furlong pole. Kept up to her work from there by William Buick, the chestnut had a half length to spare over stablemate Stylistique (GB) (Dansili {GB}) at the line, with a short head to Cloak of Spirits (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in third. “William was very impressed with her–he felt she didn’t handle the dip very well, but he loved how she moved into it between the three and the two,” trainer Roger Varian said. “We even had the discussion after she came second in the Moyglare that the Breeders’ Cup might be an option and I’m sure it still is, but it will all depend on her condition.”

Daahyeh, who is still the only filly to beat Raffle Prize (Ire) (Slade Power {Ire}) after she upstaged her on debut here May 18, will have to last a mile at Santa Anita Nov. 1 and Varian is hopeful it will not pose a problem. “She would have to prove herself at a mile, but I’m sure you could compare an American mile to a Curragh or Newmarket seven furlongs, which is what she has contested the last twice, so you would be hopeful she would get the trip,” he added. “Whether she goes to the Breeders’ Cup or not, assessing her performances this season we would have to consider her a 1000 Guineas candidate at the very least.”

Varian said of the runner-up, who is still a maiden after five starts having met smart rivals at every turn, “She is a lovely filly and it is a black mark against my training career that is she still a maiden. She is a lovely filly that is owned by a very enthusiastic owner-breeder. I’m delighted she has got some meaningful black-type. I’m sure she will win in her turn, even if we come back to novice company. She is a big, scopey filly and she is going to be an exciting prospect for next year. Frankie jumped off her and loved her–he said she will get a mile, but no more.”

Daahyeh is out of Affluent (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a former Roger Charlton trainee who won over five furlongs and only raced over slightly further throughout her brief career. A 35,000gns Juddmonte cast-off at the 2016 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, she is a half-sister to four black-type and stakes performers who were all sprinters in Europe. Chief among them is the G2 Flying Five-winning sire Deportivo (GB) (Night Shift), while So Beloved (GB) (Dansili {GB}) is a seven-furlong specialist whose finest days came when capturing the G3 Supreme S. and finishing runner-up in the G1 Prix de la Foret. His full-sister Cantabria (GB) was second in the G3 Fred Darling S. over this trip in this country before heading to the States to fill the same spot in the 8 1/2-furlong GIII Hawthorne H. for Bobby Frankel, so the prospects of Daahyeh getting the mile in California are in the balance.

Affluent also hails from the family of Wandesta (GB) (Nashwan), the champion grass mare who took the GI Matriarch S., GI Santa Barbara H. and GI Santa Ana H., while this year’s G2 Futurity S. and G3 Tyros S. winner and G1 Vincent O’Brien National S. runner-up Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also features. Her yearling colt is by Al Kazeem (GB), while she also has a colt foal by Ribchester (Ire).

Friday, Newmarket, Britain
SHADWELL ROCKFEL S.-G2, £100,000, Newmarket, 9-27, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:24.14, gd.
1–DAAHYEH (GB), 126, f, 2, by Bated Breath (GB)
1st Dam: Affluent (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Valencia (GB), by Kenmare (Fr)
3rd Dam: De Stael, by Nijinsky II
(£75,000 Ylg ’18 GOUKPR). O-HH Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa; B-D J & Mrs Deer (GB); T-Roger Varian; J-William Buick. £56,710. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Ire, 5-3-2-0, $246,989. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Stylistique (GB), 126, f, 2, Dansili (GB)–Sleek (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). O-Yvonne Jacques; B-Carisbrooke Stud (GB); T-Roger Varian. £21,500.
3–Cloak of Spirits (Ire), 126, f, 2, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Pivotique (GB), by Pivotal (GB). O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £10,760.
Margins: HF, NO, NK. Odds: 1.35, 14.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Under the Stars (Ire), Hot Touch (GB), Blissful (Ire), Alabama Whitman (GB), Festival Day (GB). Scratched: Alash Orda (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

 

 

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