By Tom Frary
William Haggas could not have hoped for a better warm-up for the June 4 G1 Coronation Cup for the apple of his eye Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), with Shadwell's deeply-promising 4-year-old going through Saturday's G3 Al Rayyan S. at Newbury like a routine piece of work. Treating Juddmonte's 2019 G1 St Leger hero Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as a mere lead-horse, the 10-11 favourite who had won comfortably on fast ground in the course-and-distance G3 John Porter S. Apr. 18 sauntered by that rival two out. Unextended from there with Jim Crowley almost motionless, the low-mileage bay recorded a bloodless four-length verdict over Thunderous (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), with Logician a respectable 1 1/2 lengths away in third. “I couldn't fault him–he was very relaxed, which we considered to be the most important part and Jim felt he could have waited longer if he was able to,” Haggas said. “He's such a strong traveller and works like that at home. He gives his all and always looks like Nijinsky against the others.”
Successful in four of his last five starts including the 13-furlong G3 Bahrain Trophy on ground similar to this at Newmarket in July, Al Aasy's only blip was when last of six in Goodwood's G3 Gordon S. on a fast surface three weeks later. He will eventually have to prove that a lively surface holds no fears and he may have to do that at Epsom next month, but on this evidence he will be a tough nut to crack whatever turns up in Surrey. “He was just getting above himself and the gap between the John Porter and the Coronation Cup was too long,” his trainer elaborated. “I came to the conclusion that if he couldn't win this under a penalty, he wouldn't be wining a Coronation Cup. He's very well-balanced and I think he'll glide around Epsom. We loved him as a yearling and it's win-win for us, as he was bred by Mrs Tsui who has the younger full-sister Sea Karats (Ire) who will have more to offer in time. I've always thought Sea the Stars was a good stallion and Sheikh Juma [Dalmook Al Maktoum] and I were mad-keen to buy as many as possible at the start. They are tough and they stay. Some are tricky, but they are good.”
As his trainer outlined, Al Aasy comes from the Tsui Family's Sunderland Holding operation as the first foal out of Kitcara (GB) (Shamardal) who is a daughter of the dual German listed winner and G3 Premio Sergio Cumani runner-up Kitcat (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). Also responsible for the dual listed scorer and G2 Prix Noailles runner-up Kapour (Ire) (Toylsome {GB}), she descends from the listed-placed Kittiwake (GB) (Barathea {Ire}) who is a half-sister to the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond S.-winning sire Pentire (GB). This is also the family of the G1 Gran Criterium winner and leading German sire Konigstiger (Ger) (Tiger Hill {Ire}) and the G1 Epsom and Irish Derby hero and champion sire Shirley Heights (GB). Kitcara's aforementioned 3-year-old filly Sea Karats (Ire), who was a 500,000gns Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate, was runner-up in this month's Listed Pretty Polly S. She also has an as-yet unnamed 2-year-old filly also by Sea the Stars and a yearling filly by Australia (GB).
Saturday, Newbury, Britain
AL RAYYAN S. (ASTON PARK S.)-G3, £100,000, Newbury, 5-15, 4yo/up, 12fT, 2:39.11, g/s.
1–AL AASY (IRE), 129, c, 4, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Kitcara (GB), by Shamardal
2nd Dam: Kitcat (Ger), by Monsun (Ger)
3rd Dam: Kittiwake (GB), by Barathea (Ire)
(300,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT). O-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd; B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas; J-Jim Crowley. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 7-4-0-1, $151,931. *Full to Sea Karats (Ire), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Thunderous (Ire), 126, c, 4, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Souviens Toi (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire). (70,000gns Ylg '18 TAOCT). O-Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (George Stubbs); B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Mark Johnston. £21,500.
3–Logician (GB), 126, h, 5, Frankel (GB)–Scuffle (GB), by Daylami (Ire). O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £10,760.
Margins: 4, 1HF, HF. Odds: 0.91, 8.50, 1.88.
Also Ran: Ranch Hand (GB), Rainbow Dreamer (GB). Scratched: Asiaaf (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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