By Tom Frary
Tuesday's curtain-raiser to the Platinum Jubilee Royal Ascot 2022 went as planned, with Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) carrying on his winning streak in the G1 Queen Anne S. in the kind of straightforward fashion that is his hallmark. With the G1 Lockinge S. runner-up Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) taking it to him this time up the centre of the track, the 1-6 favourite was forced to engage with that rival more than he had done at Newbury but while the final margin was narrowed, the outcome was the same in this 'Win And You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland in November. Settling the result with his usual sharp acceleration to take over with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining, the homebred was ridden out to maintain safe distance as the Godolphin runner stayed in contention to the line. There were 1 3/4 lengths between the pair there, with the returning Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) four lengths away in third. Jim Crowley enjoyed the prime position and said, “It doesn't get any easier than that. Everything went smoothly. Baaeed got a lovely tow into the race, the ground is beautiful, and I just let him stretch out for the last furlong of the race. It was like clockwork.”
By the clock is exactly how Baaeed can be measured to date, with his sensational fractions during his earlier races in 2021 foretelling his explosion onto the scene on Champions Day here in October. If the Lockinge had created a frenzy where comparisons were drawn with Frankel (GB), this probably put that debate to bed as there was no surging away from the Suroor challenger. That is not Baaeed's style and he looked more of a cut-and-dried miler here than anyone would have expected, again displaying that ruthless ability to kill contests with a burst. William Haggas is wanting to go up in trip, but he had a humourous aside to offer which was not far from the truth. “He'd be more interesting in a July Cup!,” he said. “He is obviously a good miler and is bred to get further. I think we'd like to try it and I think it would be remiss of us not to.”
Haggas has the G1 Juddmonte International in mind for Baaeed, with the potential to take in the G1 Sussex S. en route. “He didn't do a lot really–he was not extended really,” he added. “He travels well and settles well and that is a really important part if we are going to go further. I will speak to Sheikha Hissa and Angus Gold, but I think we are all quite keen to give it a go and that will be at York. It's whether we slot Goodwood in, in the meantime. The easy option is to stay at a mile, but I think we will give it a go.”
Sheikha Hissa is in total accord with the trainer's plan and commented, “Obviously his brother and all of his family have been stepped up, so he has been bred for that. He has shown some speed, so William and I were adamant he will stay at a mile until we see he is ready and I think he is ready. I promised myself that I will enjoy it whatever happens, because I don't know when I will see a horse like this again. We will try to enjoy it as much as possible. I have so much pride. I hope I do my father justice. I hope that there are many more from this bloodline that we can enjoy, because he worked very hard on it.”
Where Baaeed goes, Real World will not fear to follow with the winner still the only horse to beat him on turf. “Real World ran well, he was just beaten by a better horse. He is getting closer, but not close enough!,” Saeed bin Suroor said. “I am thinking about a mile and a quarter, maybe the Eclipse in two weeks. I would be keen to run him, but I need to see how he comes back from here. Maybe also the Juddmonte after.” Danny Tudhope, who was to go on to ride a double on the day, added, “Real World is probably the best miler I have ridden and we have to bump into Baaeed! He has done nothing wrong and I am pretty sure that his group 1 is just around the corner. He is versatile, he is a good horse.”
Baaeed's full-brother Hukum (Ire), whose career took an upward trajectory earlier this month with a personal-best in the G1 Coronation Cup only to sustain an injury which looks to have ended it, is a contrasting type but nevertheless also capable of moments of dynamism such as at Epsom and when taking the first of two renewals of the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. The dam is the Listed Prix de Liancourt winner Aghareed (Kingmambo), a daughter of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and GI Flower Bowl Invitational heroine Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) descended from the Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Bashayer (Mr. Prospector).
Bashayer, a full-sister to the dual listed scorer Sarayir who in turn produced the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. heroine Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway), is kin to the Stud's brilliant champion Nashwan and the four-times group 1-winning Nayef, as well as Unfuwain all out of Height of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}). She is a daughter of The Queen's 1000 Guineas and Prix de Diane heroine Highclere (GB), making Baaeed's achievement a fitting one in this unique year. Aghareed has the unraced 3-year-old filly Zaghaareed (GB) (Intello {Ger}), while a 2-year-old colt by Nathaniel (Ire) named Naqeeb (Ire) and a yearling colt by Night of Thunder (Ire).
Tuesday, Ascot, Britain
QUEEN ANNE S.-G1, £600,000, Ascot, 6-14, 4yo/up, 8fT, 1:37.76, g/f.
1–BAAEED (GB), 128, c, 4, by Sea The Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Aghareed (SW-Fr), by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Lahudood (GB), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahayeb (GB), by Arazi
O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-William Haggas; J-Jim Crowley. £340,260. Lifetime Record: 8-8-0-0, $1,952,782. *Full to Hukum (IRE), G1SW-Eng & GSW-UAE, $892,671. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Real World (Ire), 128, h, 5, Dark Angel (Ire)–Nafura (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Saeed bin Suroor. £129,000.
3–Order of Australia (Ire), 128, h, 5, Australia (GB)–Senta's Dream (GB), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £64,560.
Margins: 1 3/4, 4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.17, 7.50, 18.00.
Also Ran: Chindit (Ire), Sir Busker (Ire), Lights On (GB), Accidental Agent (GB). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
😯👏🏻 How good was this from Baaeed? Congratulations to @ShadwellStud, @hissa_hamdan and @AgaKhanStuds who stand this colt's sire, Sea The Stars. pic.twitter.com/hXE5nmcJpD
— TDN (@theTDN) June 14, 2022
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