By Tom Frary
Entering Saturday's G3 Princess Margaret Keeneland S. off an impressive maiden win over this six-furlong trip at Newmarket June 25, Saeed Al Tayer's Zain Claudette (Ire) (No Nay Never) was produced in the nick of time by the young weighing room talent Ray Dawson to nose out Desert Dreamer (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in a brief rainstorm at Ascot. Held up towards the rear early racing alongside the eventual runner-up, the 15-2 shot came stand's side of the pack while that 9-4 favourite was taken far side in what amounted to a pincer movement. While it looked as if the G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. runner-up had done enough to shed her bridesmaid status as she mastered Delmona (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) late, it was Zain Claudette who came out of eyesight to put her nose down marginally ahead for the photo. “She's a lovely filly and is doing very well,” trainer Ismail Mohammed said. “With each of her runs, she is improving. We're planning to go for some big races with her now.”
Zain Claudette, a bargain £20,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale graduate who was a neck runner-up on debut to the subsequent G2 Prix Robert Papin third Hellomydarlin (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) at Goodwood June 11, is the first foal out of the unraced Claudette (Speightstown). Her dam Tippity Witch (Affirmed) annexed the GIII Martha Washington S. and is kin to the triple Listed Abergwaun S.-winning sprinter Senor Benny (Benny the Dip). A granddaughter of the listed scorer and GII Diana H.-placed Senora Tippy (El Gran Senor), Claudette's second foal is an as yet unnmaed yearling filly by Exceed and Excel (Aus).
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
PRINCESS MARGARET KEENELAND S.-G3, £60,000, Ascot, 7-24, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:13.27, g/f.
1–ZAIN CLAUDETTE (IRE), 126, f, 2, by No Nay Never
1st Dam: Claudette, by Speightstown
2nd Dam: Tippity Witch, by Affirmed
3rd Dam: Senora Tippy, by El Gran Senor
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€58,000 RNA Wlg '19 GOFNOV; £20,000 Ylg '20 GOFFUK). O-Saeed H Altayer; B-Andriy Milovanov (IRE); T-Ismail Mohammed; J-Ray Dawson. £34,026. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $55,687. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Desert Dreamer (GB), 126, f, 2, Oasis Dream (GB)–Pure Innocence (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). (20,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-J W Parry & Mrs C Shekells; B-Branton Court Stud (GB); T-Stuart Williams. £12,900.
3–Delmona (Ire), 126, f, 2, Dandy Man (Ire)–Imelda Mayhem (GB), by Byron (GB). (£44,000 Ylg '20 TATIRY). O-Hasan Mefareh Alajmi & Fawzi Nass; B-Ballyhane Stud (IRE); T-Tom Dascombe. £6,456.
Margins: NO, NK, 2. Odds: 7.50, 2.25, 11.00.
Also Ran: Nazanin, System (Ire), Crazyland (GB), Attagirl (GB), Sassy Rascal (Ire), Miss Calculation (Ire), El Hadeeyah (Ire). Scratched: Nymphadora (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.
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