By Sean Cronin
KHK Racing's 2-year-old twice-raced colt Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}–Shortmile Lady {Ire}, by Arcano {Ire}), a promising debut second at Windsor in August, attained 'TDN Rising Stardom' with a wide-margin demolition at Haydock on the first of this month and repeated the dose with another imperious performance in Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef S. at Newbury. The 4-5 favourite was alert from the stalls and found a smooth rhythm in a handy third through the early fractions of this black-type bow. Tanking forward to loom large on the bridle passing the quarter-mile marker, he settled the contest in an instant when quickening for control soon after and powered further clear under minimal coaxing in the latter stages to easily outclass Rousing Encore (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) by 3 1/2 lengths. The winner's Roger Varian stablemate Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) fared best of the remainder and finished 3/4-of-a-length further adrift in third.
“His work has always been very good at home and we thought he would win first time, but he ran into a smart filly at Windsor [Magical Sunset],” said Varian. “He then won well at Haydock and he looks good. How good, I don't know, but he is possibly the best of my 2-year-olds. He has size and scope, he's very exciting and I think he'll stay seven furlongs or a mile. You can never really expect things to go as well for us as it has today, but everything is clicking. He is in the [G1] Middle Park, but it's next week. It's very soon, so we'll have to see.”
Sakheer, who was the highest-priced lot when knocked down for €550,000 at this year's Arqana Breeze-Up sale, is the fifth of seven foals and one of three scorers produced by a half-sister to G3 Prix de Meautry winner Indian Maiden (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), herself the dam of G3 World Trophy victrix Maid In India (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) and the dual stakes-winning G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis second Love Spirit (GB) (Elusive City). The February-foaled bay, who hails from the family of Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}) and Chief's Crown (Danzig), is a half-brother to multiple Group-winning GI Beverly D. S. third Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass), a yearling colt by Exceed And Excel (Aus) and a weanling filly by Sea The Stars (Ire).
Saturday, Newbury, Britain
DUBAI DUTY FREE MILL REEF S.-G2, £84,250, Newbury, 9-17, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.53, gd.
1–SAKHEER (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Zoffany (Ire)
1st Dam: Shortmile Lady (Ire), by Arcano (Ire)
2nd Dam: Jinsiyah, by Housebuster
3rd Dam: Minifah, by Nureyev
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (80,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; $65,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; €550,000 2yo '22 ARQMAY). O-KHK Racing; B-Drumlin Bloodstock (IRE); T-Roger Varian; J-David Egan. £47,778. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $63,902. *1/2 to Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass), MGSW-Ire, GSW & GISP-USA, $386,350. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rousing Encore (Ire), 129, c, 2, Acclamation (GB)–Jolie Chanson (Fr), by Mount Nelson (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (57,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 32,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Paul K Spencer; B-Hunting Hill Stud (IRE); T-Richard Fahey. £18,114.
3–Charyn (Ire), 129, c, 2, Dark Angel (Ire)–Futoon (Ire), by Kodiac (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (250,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Nurlan Bizakov; B-Grangemore Stud (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £9,065.
Margins: 3HF, 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.80, 20.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Shouldvebeenaring (GB), Wallop (Ire), Mustajaab (GB), Heroism (Ire).
Impressive! 👏
Sakheer is a decisive winner of the Group 2 @DDFRacing Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes, cruising clear to complete a four-timer on the card for jockey @DavidEgan99 on what is turning into a remarkable afternoon for trainer @varianstable 🏆 pic.twitter.com/t9huXswU6R
— Newbury Racecourse (@NewburyRacing) September 17, 2022
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