NEWS
Nahoodh rises to Falmouth victory
Posted: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 12:47 PM
Nahoodh bounced back from four unplaced finishes to register her first Group 1 victory on Wednesday in the Falmouth Stakes (Eng-G1) at Newmarket.
The Clodovil filly had finished no better than fifth in four starts this year after completing her two-year-old season with a maiden win in the Lowther Stakes (Eng-G2) at York last August for owner Jaber Abdullah and trainer Michael Channon.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed al Maktoum acquired Nahoodh after her fifth-place finish in the One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) on May 4 and moved her to trainer Mark Johnston’s stable prior to a sixth-place finish in the Coronation Stakes (Eng-G1) on June 20 at Royal Ascot in her final start before the one-mile Falmouth.
Nahoodh took command inside the final furlong for jockey Frankie Dettori and drew away to a 1 3/4-length triumph in 1:38.60 on good to soft turf.
“It was only two days ago we decided to run her over a mile again, and I did have her entered over six furlongs as well,” Johnston told England’s Press Association. “We were looking for a seven-furlong race but the lure of a Group 1 was too much. She obviously gets a mile and there are richer pickings at that trip so she will probably stay at a mile.”
Coronation runner-up Infallible checked in second again, and Heaven Sent followed another three-quarters of a length back in third. Cheveley Park Stud is the owner-breeder of both Infallible and Heaven Sent, who is a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Megahertz (GB).
Finsceal Beo, last year’s One Thousand Guineas and Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) winner, finished seventh. Darjina, the 2007 European champion three-year-old and ’08 Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) runner-up, was scratched.
The Lowther was Nahoodh’s only previous victory. She has two wins in eight career starts.
Petra Bloodstock Agency Ltd. bred her in Ireland out of the Indian Ridge mare Mise.
