Princess scores narrow Sandown win

[Wandering Eyes]

Well-bred mare Princess Rhaenys (Iffraaj) has had to overcome adversity in her short career with trainer Peter Moody hoping the mare can still make it to stakes grade.

A maiden winner previously, Princess Rhaenys took out the Ladbrokes Same Race Multi Handicap (1600m) at Sandown on Sunday at only her sixth start.

Moody said a lung infection followed by a severe foot abscess had resulted in the rising five-year-old having limited exposure to the racetrack.

Under the urgings of Luke Nolen, Princess Rhaenys, the $2.20 favourite, scored a short-head win from Vittoriosa (NZ) (Vancouver) with Cyclone Sally (Puissance De Lune) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.

Moody had hopes of Princess Rhaenys being an Australian Oaks filly as a three-year-old and was steering the daughter of Iffraaj in that direction.

Princess Rhaenys had finished fourth in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at only her third start and was on track for an assault at the Oaks two weeks later.

“Her brother Jon Snow won a Derby and that’s why we took her up there,” Moody said.

“She ran fourth in the Vinery Stud (Gr.1, 2000m) but then got a lung infection that took her around four months to get over.

“We got her right, put her in work and she was on the verge of racing, but she got a bad foot abscess, which rotted her foot.

“The owners have been terrifically patient, so we started again.

“That was only start number six for a rising five-year-old mare, so there’s still plenty of time.”

Moody said it was his intention to step Princess Rhaenys up to 2000m and give her a couple of tries at that trip before a winter break.

“I think we’ll try and build a bit of a profile, work her through the grades a little bit,” Moody said.

“There’s a couple of nice mares’ races at the back end of the spring, so maybe another couple of runs and then we’ll back off her and steer her towards those.”

Princess Rhaenys was bred by the Hong Kong Breeders Club.

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