With a pedigree like his, Khalid Abdullah's Sunray Major (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) already had enough in hand on his rivals assembled for division two of Newmarket's Betfair Exchange More Ways To Win EBF Stallions Novice S. on Sunday's 1,000 Guineas undercard. Word spreads fast around these parts and it was certainly out for the John Gosden-trained half-brother to the amazing miler Kingman (GB) as he traded at 8-11 for the mile contest. Following the lead of his yard's already-established TDN Rising Star King Leonidas (GB) by Kingman himself in the first division, the Juddmonte homebred was to add further heavy artillery to Clarehaven's remarkable stores with this impressive debut performance.
Spreading a plate and delaying the start, the March-foaled bay was also slowly away from the stalls but he was quickly into the swing and cruising as he tracked the front duo despite enjoying no cover. Kept four horse-widths off the far rail by Frankie Dettori, he moved with grace to gain the advantage passing the two-furlong pole and readily asserted uphill for an impressive 3 3/4-length defeat of Duel In the Sun (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), with Spectrum of Light (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) a head away in third. “He is a lovely colt and he has worked very nicely at home,” Gosden said. “He has only done bridle work. He got above himself saddling and his shoe came off and we had to get him re-shod, then he decided he wanted to do this and that. He is a really charming, kind horse. We are hopeful he is a very classy colt.”
Yet another significant feather in the cap of yet another stellar producer for the operation in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine and G1 Coronation S. and GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup runner-up Zenda (GB) (Zamindar), Sunray Major becomes her sixth winner. Alongside the brilliant G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, G1 St James's Palace S., G1 Sussex S. and G1 Prix Jacques le Marois hero and new sire sensation Kingman (GB), Hwt. 3yo-Eur, Eng, Ire & Fr at 7-9 1/2f, G1SW-Fr, Ire & Eng, $1,607,201, she is also responsible for the G3 Tercentenary S.-winning sire Remote (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and to the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. third First Eleven (GB) (Frankel {GB}), GSP-Eng, $158,806.
Zenda's daughters include Rio Carnival (Storm Cat), who produced the GIII Sham S. runner-up Let's Meet in Rio (Flatter), Pleasantry (GB) (Johannesburg) who threw last year's G2 Gimcrack S. third Repartee (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and the G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen (German 2000 Guineas) runner-up Fajjaj (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), and Panzanella (GB) (Dansili {GB}) who is responsible for Friday's debut winner at this meeting Ricetta (GB) (Camelot {GB}).
Zenda is a half-sister to the outstanding European champion sprinter and established leading Banstead Manor sire Oasis Dream (GB), who needs no introduction as the hero of the G1 July Cup, G1 Nunthorpe S. and G1 Middle Park S. Her dam Bahamian (Ire) (Mill Reef) took the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial and was placed in the G2 Park Hill S. and G2 Prix de Pomone before producing the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Wemyss Bight (GB) (Dancing Brave). She was in turn responsible for Beat Hollow (GB) (Sadler's Wells) who captured the G1 Grand Prix de Paris, GI Arlington Million, GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic and GI Manhattan H. Zenda's 2-year-old colt Ferran Star (GB) is like First Eleven a son of Frankel.
8th-Newmarket, £6,400, Novice, 6-7, 3yo, 8fT, 1:38.86, gd.
SUNRAY MAJOR (GB), c, 3, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Zenda (GB) (G1SW-Fr, G1SP-Eng, GISP-US, $406,107), by Zamindar
2nd Dam: Hope (Ire), by Dancing Brave
3rd Dam: Bahamian (Ire), by Mill Reef
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $5,245. O-Khaild Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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