By Tom Frary
Having sprung a surprise in Ascot's G3 Pavilion S. Apr. 28, Rohaan (Ire) (Mayson {GB}) was ignored again in Saturday's G2 Sandy Lane S. at Haydock but paid no heed to that as he continued in the same mood to swoop at 33-1. Held up in last early by Shane Kelly, the bay was launched between rivals to take the lead with a furlong remaining and hold TDN Rising Star Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) by a nose, with a length back to Umm Kulthum (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in third. “I don't know why he was that price, because the form was there,” trainer David Evans said. “Soft ground, fast ground–he's a class horse, but nobody seems to realise it. He can't go in the [G1] Commonwealth Cup, because he's a gelding. He's entered in the [June 19] Wokingham [H. at Royal Ascot], but he'll get a penalty for that now. This was the logical race to go for, rather than Ascot anyway. He's probably had a rushed prep this last week to get here, but it's all worked out well.”
Now the winner of a brace of group races featuring last year's G1 Middle Park S. hero Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and the previously unbeaten Dragon Symbol, Rohaan has climbed a proverbial mountain since registering a first success off a lowly mark of 55 in a Newcastle handicap at the start of December. Five starts later, he was beating the useful Diligent Harry (GB) (Due Diligence) over this six-furlong trip on Lingfield's Polytrack Mar. 10 before running fifth under topweight to the subsequent impressive Listed Carnarvon S. scorer Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in another handicap over this distance at Newmarket's Craven meeting Apr. 15. While the Pavilion could be dismissed as a potential aberration given the way that Supremacy bombed out, this was proof that Rohaan has to be taken seriously.
This was also the winner's first run on testing turf since finishing a modest ninth in a Newbury maiden won by the subsequent G3 Fred Darling S. runner-up Statement (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) for the George Scott yard in late October. “His previous run on it wasn't great, but that was when he was a weak 2-year-old,” Shane Kelly said. “It was wet yesterday, but it's dried and is now holding and tacky but he handled it really well–the Mayson in him helped in that respect. He travelled super and took off between horses, then was dossing in front. He's improving fast.”
Rohaan's dam Vive Les Rouges (GB) (Acclamation {GB}), who was runner-up in the Listed Dick Poole Fillies' S., is a half to two other black-type performers headed by the Listed Kilvington Fillies' S. winner Bounty Box (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) who is in turn the dam of the G3 Sirenia S. third Fuente (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}). Her 2-year-old colt Red Kite (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) was bought for just £10,000 by Johnston Racing at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale @ Doncaster, while she also has a yearling filly by Fast Company (Ire).
Saturday, Haydock, Britain
CASUMO BET10GET10 SANDY LANE S.-G2, £90,000, Haydock, 5-22, 3yo, 6fT, 1:18.15, hy.
1–ROHAAN (IRE), 126, g, 3, by Mayson (GB)
1st Dam: Vive Les Rouges (GB) (SP-Eng), by Acclamation (GB)
2nd Dam: Bible Box (Ire), by Bin Ajwaad (Ire)
3rd Dam: Addie Pray (Ire), by Great Commotion
(€0 RNA Wlg '18 GOFNOV; £36,000 Ylg '19 GOFFPR; 20,000gns 2yo '20 TATAHI). O-Chris Kiely Racing Ltd & J Tomkins; B-Liam Phelan (IRE); T-David Evans; J-Shane Kelly. £51,039. Lifetime Record: 13-6-2-0, $159,442. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dragon Symbol (GB), 126, c, 3, Cable Bay (Ire)–Arcamist (GB), by Arcano (Ire). (67,000gns Ylg '19 TAOCT). O-Yoshiro Kubota; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Archie Watson. £19,350.
3–Umm Kulthum (Ire), 123, f, 3, Kodiac (GB)–Queen's Code (Ire), by Shamardal. (£75,000 2yo '20 GOFARQ). O-Saeed bin Mohammed Al Qassimi; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Richard Fahey. £9,684.
Margins: NO, 1, NO. Odds: 33.00, 4.50, 10.00.
Also Ran: Light Refrain (GB), Method (Ire), Isabella Giles (Ire), Mujbar (GB), Apollo One (GB), Saint Lawrence (Ire), The Lir Jet (Ire). Scratched: Laws of Indices (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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