Sakheer, the Arqana breeze-up sales topper, wins maiden and now with G1 targets ahead

JOCKEY David Egan feels that the exciting Sakheer is ready for the step up to Group company on his next start, after opening his account in smart fashion at Haydock Park today.

The son of Zoffany, trained by Roger Varian, cost a top-priced €550,000 at the Arqana breeze-up sales, bought by Oliver St Lawrence from Mocklershill. The colt certainly set himself on his way to justifying that figure here, building on a promising debut at Windsor last month when the 6l winner of the Auction Finance EBF Novice Stakes over 6f.

He finished second on his debut at Windsor in August and holds entries in the Group 1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stake, the 6f Middle Park Stakes (G1), and the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes.

Egan feels that Sakheer will be competitive wherever he goes: “He’s proven his price tag there. Ben Morris who rides him out most days at home has done a terrific job with him just keeping his head nice and settled. He ran a great debut first time out, we wanted him to have a nice run and came from behind and picked up and was well clear of the third. We expected him to take a step forward from here and I knew from halfway.

“He’s a classy individual. He’s got a big price tag and he’s the type of horse that his owner KHK Racing and Sheikh Khalid wants, it’s a great job by everyone to get the horse here and to get the win. I don’t think I’ve ever had an easier winner, he was really impressive both visually but also in the feel he gave me.

“There are horses that have won maidens that have stepped straight up into Group level and won. This horse has got two runs under his belt already and has just won that in such a manner that I’m happy for him to take that step up. If you were going in there off just one run you’d be more cautious but he’s going in there with that extra run, which will play to his strengths.”

Pedigree

Bred by Drumlin Bloodstock, he was a 80,000gns Tattersalls December Foal bought from Yellowford Farm by Camas Park. Catalogued as a yearling in the Keeneland September Sale he was not sold, was then withdrawn from the Tattersalls Craven Sale before emerging in France as a sale topper.

Sakheer is the fifth foal out of the Arcano juvenile-winning mare Shortmile Lady, dam of the Group 2 juvenile winner Lemista and a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Indian Maiden.

Lemista is now running stateside with Chad Brown, and she achieved a best-placed Grade 1 third-place finish in the Beverley D Stakes last year.

Shortmile Lady’s Exceed And Excel yearling colt is in this year’s Tattersalls October Book 2 Sale (Lot 873), to be sold by Ard Erin Stud.