By Tom Frary
One of Shadwell's plethora of Royal Ascot winners, Hukum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) took a step forward on Saturday to readily dismiss some seasoned and proficient members of the older brigade in Newbury's G3 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Geoffrey Freer S. While the G1 St Leger has so far evaded Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, this could be the one after all this time if the head of the empire chooses to channel him in that direction following this emphatic success from one of the operation's most promising young talents. So impressive on his 3-year-old bow and third career start in the June 17 King George V H. over a mile and a half at the Royal meeting, the homebred cruised in behind the leaders under Jim Crowley and when committed two out brushed aside Max Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Forging on as the line neared, the 4-1 shot had a commanding 2 1/2-length advantage over last year's G3 Zetland S. winner, with the progressive 4-year-old Alignak (GB) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) 2 1/4 lengths back in third. “There wasn't much of a gallop on and he picked them up really well,” Crowley said. “He's improving with every race and his work was a lot, lot better going into this race than it was at Ascot. Hopefully he'll keep on progressing–he's a lovely horse who would go on most type of grounds and he has a zip about him.”
Trainer Owen Burrows has yet to win a group 1 for Shadwell, but the way Hukum went through this extended 13-furlong test suggests he could break that duck. “I'm very excited, as he was the one to give me my first Royal Ascot winner and unfortunately he picked up an injury there when struck into,” he explained. “That kept him off the track until now, but you can't fail to be impressed by the way he's done that today. He's a pleasure to train and is very straightforward with a great demeanour. He always showed a level at home that suggested he was above-average, but early on this year his work was okay but he wasn't sparkling. We took him to Kempton a week before Ascot and his work was much more like it, so we went there and since his leg has healed he's done nothing but please me and strengthen up all the time.”
“There was just a little question mark over the ground, he's only run three times and not on soft before, but he did it very well,” he added. “The obvious race is the St Leger, but Sheikh Hamdan was mindful after Ascot that he'd be better next year so I'll speak to them and nothing is finalised yet. It'd be nice if we could win the Leger for him.”
Hukum is the fourth foal out of the Listed Prix de Liancourt winner Aghareed (Kingmambo), who is the leading performer out of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and G1 Flower Bowl Invitational heroine Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). She is in turn kin to the Listed Prix Charles Laffitte winner Kareemah (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), while they descend from the Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Bashayer (Mr. Prospector) who is a full-sister to the dual listed scorer Sarayir. In turn the dam of the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. heroine Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway), she is also a full-sister to Wijdan who produced the GII New York S. winner Makderah (Ire) (Danehill) and the G2 Premio Ribot scorer Oriental Fashion (Ire) (Marju {Ire}). Bashayer is a half-sister to operation's brilliant G1 2000 Guineas, G1 Epsom Derby, G1 Eclipse S. and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. hero and sire Nashwan, the four-times group 1-winning Nayef and the talented Unfuwain. Aghareed also has an unraced 2-year-old full-brother to Hukum named Baaeed (GB) and a yearling filly by Intello (Ger).
Saturday, Newbury, Britain
IRISH THOROUGHBRED MARKETING GEOFFREY FREER S.-G3, £37,000, Newbury, 8-15, 3yo/up, 13f 61yT, 2:53.42, g/s.
1–HUKUM (IRE), 121, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Aghareed (SW-Fr), by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Lahudood (GB), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahayeb (GB), by Arazi
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Owen Burrows; J-Jim Crowley. £20,983. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $90,630. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Max Vega (Ire), 121, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Paraphernalia (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire). (€47,000 RNA Wlg '17 GOFNOV; €25,000 Ylg '18 GOFOR). O-The Pickford Hill Partnership; B-Tullpark Ltd (IRE); T-Ralph Beckett. £7,955.
3–Alignak (GB), 131, c, 4, Sea The Moon (Ger)–Albanova (GB), by Alzao. O-Orchard Bloodstock Ltd; B-Kirsten Rausing (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £3,981.
Margins: 2HF, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 4.00, 6.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Morando (Fr), Sextant (GB), Tritonic (GB), Communique (Ire). Scratched: Almania (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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