By Alan Carasso
It was not a completely straight-forward task for 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings), but in the end, her considerable class and talent won out as she ran her record to a perfect four-from-four with a deceptively easy victory in Friday's G3 UAE Oaks at Meydan.
Off to an awkward beginning, Shahama was clearly last under the wire the first time around and appeared to be climbing badly into the kickback as Adrie de Vries urged her along. Able to tack onto the back of the pack with 1400 metres to travel, the May 9 foal was guided out into about the four path as the field reached the halfway point. Four wide at the three-eighths peg, Shahama began to catch the eye and loomed at the top of the straight to make a line of three. Tenderly ridden by de Vries, she was asked to accelerate a bit 300 metres from home and was always holding Arabian Gazelles (Mastery), who gave game chase. Minwah (Cupid) completed a US-bred sweep.
“She was very upset today because of the screen, the music, [the start being in] the straight,” the winning jockey said. “She jumped a bit awkward because she was sitting down in the gate. It was a little bit awkward,` as there were a few horses who couldn't bring me to the leader, so I had to go wide to get her out of the kickback, but she did it very easy.”
Pedigree Notes:
Trainer Fawzi Nass's name appeared on the docket when Shahama–a May 9 foal–was hammered down for $425,000 at last year's OBS April Sale after breezing a quarter-mile in :21 flat. From the same Gone West sire line as the talented multiple graded-stakes winning Kensei and a half to dual Eclipse Award winner Lookin At Lucky, Shahama is out of a daughter of the stakes-winning Regal Feeling, whose Grade III-winning daughter Grand Charmer (Lord Avie) was responsible for GSP juvenile filly True Feelings (Latent Heat). Regal Feeling is also responsible for Flirtatious (A.P. Indy), the dam of champion Wait A While (Maria's Mon). The now 23-year-old Private Feeling is represented by a yearling colt by Catalina Cruiser and is due to Smart Strike's Grade I-winning son Tom's d'Etat this year. Shahama is the 24th graded/group winner for Munnings.
Friday, Meydan, Dubai
UAE OAKS PRESENTED BY JAFZA-G3, $150,000, Meydan, 2-18, 3yo, f, 9 1/2f, 2:02.25, ft.
1–SHAHAMA, 126, f, 3, by Munnings
1st Dam: Private Feeling, by Belong To Me
2nd Dam: Regal Feeling, by Clever Trick
3rd Dam: Sharp Belle, by Native Charger
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST GROUP WIN. ($425,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-KHK Racing; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Fawzi Abdulla Nass; J-Adrie de Vries. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $223,670. *1/2 to Kensei (Mr. Greeley), MGSW, $751,364; and Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike), Ch. 2yo & 3yo Colt-US, MGISW, $3,307,278. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Arabian Gazelles, 126, f, 3, Mastery–Adventure, by Unbridled's Song. ($110,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK-TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Mrs Fitri Hay; B-AR Enterprises, LLC (KY); T-Bhupat Seemar. $30,000.
3–Minwah, 126, f, 3, Cupid–My Curlina, by Belong To Me. ($130,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $130,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEP; $70,000 2yo '21 FTMMAY). 1ST GROUP BLACK-TYPE. O-Ahmad Bintooq; B-Tom Evans & Pam Clark (KY); T-Doug Watson. $15,000.
Margins: 2, 3 1/4, 2 1/4.
Also Ran: Remas, Uchchaihshravas (Ire), Shadzadi (Ire), Hot Pink (Ire). Click for the Emiratesracing.com result. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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