By Tom Frary
Doncaster's St Leger festival had begun in the wrong way for Shadwell as the 2-year-old Jadhlaan (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) had suffered a fatal injury in the opening race, injuring Jim Crowley in the process, but there was some consolation half an hour later as the homebred Israr (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) earned TDN Rising Star status on debut. Sent off at 8-1 for the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden S. over a mile, the John and Thady Gosden-trained son of the operation's G1 Epsom Oaks and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. heroine Taghrooda (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was awkwardly away from the wide stall and lost ground veering right under Rab Havlin. Quickly gaining composure to track the leader of his group towards the stand's rail, the bay was green isolated on the wing in the middle part of the race but came alive instantly when asked to close approaching two out. Swooping on the 66-1 shot Savvy Victory (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) inside the final furlong, he asserted to score a shade cosily by half a length, with 1 1/2 lengths back to the winner's stablemate and 5-4 favourite Frantastic (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the full-brother to the dual G1 Champion S. hero Cracksman (GB) who put up a highly encouraging debut effort in his own right.
“It's a very laid-back family and a mile-and-a-half family, I loved the way he finished out passing the line and he took a while to pull up,” Havlin said of the March-foaled half-brother to the useful 102-rated handicapper Almighwar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). “Taghrooda and Almighwar were laid-back, but he's a bit quicker–he's smaller, stockier and stronger than them. They went a bit slow early and he was not really taking the bit and racing a bit babyish, but when I gave him a squeeze he was all there for me and finished out well. He's obviously pretty nice and I love his mindset, so hopefully he has a bright future.” Israr, who becomes Muhaarar's second TDN Rising Star after the recent Newmarket winner Razzle Dazzle (GB), is the third foal out of Taghrooda, who was also runner-up in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and third in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe during her stunning 3-year-old campaign. Her dam was the triple listed scorer Ezima (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who was also second in the G2 Lancashire Oaks and hails from the family of the high-class stayers Enzeli (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) and Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) and the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Ebadiyla (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). Taghrooda's yearling colt is a full-brother to the aforementioned Almighwar, while she also has a filly foal by Kingman (GB).
2nd-Doncaster, £30,000, Mdn, 9-8, 2yo, 8fT, 1:39.83, g/f.
ISRAR (GB), c, 2, by Muhaarar (GB)
1st Dam: Taghrooda (GB) (Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 11-14f, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 11-14f, MG1SW-Eng, G1SP-Fr, $2,404,603), by Sea the Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Ezima (Ire), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Ezilla (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $22,329. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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