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Shamardal’s bloodline continues to hog the limelight

The four-year-old Bay Gelding, Think Ahead rode a commanding race to landed the spoils in the betdaq.com £20 Free Bet Maiden Stakes.

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Abu Dhabi — Shamardal’s bloodline continued to impress this week with Think Ahead winning at Windsor, UK. The four-year-old Bay Gelding, Think Ahead rode a commanding race to landed the spoils in the betdaq.com £20 Free Bet Maiden Stakes.

The charge of Dubai World Cup-winning trainer Saeed bin Suroor and the ride of James Doyle, Think Ahead was quick off the starting gates and left the rest of the pack well behind to fight for places. So dominant was Think Ahead’s showing that he was unchallenged and won from start to finish. 

Think Ahead won by two lengths over Senrima for his first win in three starts. He had finished second on his previous run in the EBF Express Coffee Maiden Stakes (Div I) in Newmarket in November 2013. Think Ahead had finished third on his debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Stakes in Newcastle in October 2013.

This week’s successful sire Shamardal saw fillies Shrill and Fintry win the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden in Cork, Ireland and the Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines Group 3 run over a mile, in Chantilly, France, respectively.

Shamardal had six from seven starts, with all of them coming on turf across the world. His lone disappointment was a ninth place at the then Nad Al Sheba in the UAE Derby Group 2, back in 2005. Shamardal had wins in York, Newmarket, Goodwood and Ayr in the UK and in Chantilly and Longchamp in France.

Meanwhile, in Carlisle, UK, King Of Country, the three-year-old son of Dubawi, finished second in the Price Boosts @bookies.com Maiden Stakes. Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by Shane Gray, King Of Country finished half a length behind winner Freedom Rock, trained by Philip McBride and the ride of Graham Lee. It was King Of Country’s best finish till date with his previous best being third in Kempton, earlier in April.

Trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by Shane Gray, King Of Country finished half a length behind winner Freedom Rock, trained by Philip McBride and the ride of Graham Lee. It was King Of Country’s best finish till date with his previous best being third in Kempton, earlier in April.

In Geelong, Australia, Cruachan was third on debut in the Roderick Insurance SV 2yo Maiden Plate (Pro-Ride). The two-year-old son of Commands, trained by John O’Shea and the ride of Patrick Moloney finished behind Oxbow and Clevfilly.

james@khaleejtimes.com 

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