By Tom Frary
Sandown's Listed Heron S. on Thursday offered some Royal Ascot clues, with Shadwell's Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) maintaining his unbeaten record on his first try on turf for the John and Thady Gosden stable. Having scored on debut on Newcastle's Tapeta Mar. 16 and over this mile trip on Kempton's Polytrack Apr. 5, the half-brother to last year's G1 Sun Chariot S., G1 Falmouth S. and G2 Duke of Cambridge S. heroine Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was restrained in rear early by Jim Crowley having been drawn widest of all. Making his move up the centre of the track in the straight, the 9-2 shot was in front a furlong from home and saw off Bullace (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) in the run to the line, where he had half a length to spare over the 11-8 favourite and Listed Feilden S. winner Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). That Godolphin representative, who forged half a length ahead of the game Bullace, comes out of the contest with credit racing under a three-pound penalty.
This race has taken on something of a G1 St James's Palace S. trial in recent years and Mostahdaf came through with realistic claims for that June 15 Royal Ascot prize. It was the Gosden stable which had been responsible for the last two winners of this in Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who went on to success in the St James's Palace, and King of Comedy (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) who was a possibly unlucky second in that prestige event in 2019. “I don't think the ground was to his liking as it was testing out there,” John Gosden said. “He has shown a lot of courage, as he has come from last and got in a battle. He will have learnt a lot from that, as it is the first time he has ever raced on turf. We will see how is in the next couple of weeks and go from there. As Jim [Crowley] said, he had nothing to race with out there and he was slightly looking around. It was a great run and we will see whether we stick to a mile, which I think we will for the moment, and we will see where we go from there. The St James's Palace Stakes is not necessarily punching too high, as he has got a lot of class. It is nobody's fault, but he would just like to run on something called good ground.”
Nazeef, whose achievements in the top league all came as a 4-year-old, was the first indication that Shadwell have a broodmare of significance in the Listed Garnet S. winner Handassa. She is a half to the GII San Gabriel S. and GII Mathis Brothers Mile S. winner Desert Stone (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and his full-brother Euginio (Ire), who was third in the G3 Earl of Sefton S. She is a granddaughter of Star, who produced the Bahamian Bounty (GB) group 1-winning full-siblings Pastoral Pursuits (GB) and Goodricke (GB). Her 2020 colt is by Dark Angel (Ire).
CASUMO BEST ODDS GUARANTEED HERON S.-Listed, £37,000, Sandown, 5-20, 3yo, 8fT, 1:50.29, sf.
1–MOSTAHDAF (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Handassa (GB) (SW-Ire), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Starstone (GB), by Diktat (GB)
3rd Dam: Star (GB), by Most Welcome (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (IRE); T-John & Thady Gosden; J-Jim Crowley. £20,983. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $47,926. *1/2 to Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 7-9 1/2f, Hwt. Older Mare-Eng at 7-9 1/2f, MG1SW-Eng, $409,959.
2–Highland Avenue (Ire), 129, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Lumiere (GB), by Shamardal. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £7,955.
3–Bullace (GB), 126, c, 3, Toronado (Ire)–Redstart (GB), by Cockney Rebel (Ire). O/B-Mr A D G Oldrey & Mr G C Hartigan (GB); T-Ralph Beckett. £3,981.
Margins: HF, HF, 4HF. Odds: 4.50, 1.38, 8.50.
Also Ran: Nando Parrado (GB), Mithras (GB), Imperial Sands (Ire), Invincible Swagger (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result.
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