Maqaasid

The John Gosden-trained Maqaasid was impressive in winning what looked like a decent maiden on her racecourse debut at Sandown on Thursday. She missed the break, she was actually last and on the far rail with two furlongs to run, but she improved nicely between horses before Richard Hills eased her to the outside, outside the Clive Brittain filly Elshabakiya, and she quickened up nicely to win by a cosy neck. The fact that she made her ground on the outside made her effort even more meritorious. You really don’t want to be too far off the far rail on the sprint track at Sandown, even on good or fast ground, although the disadvantage is accentuated on soft.

This was probably a good maiden, there was good money for the Richard Hannon filly Eucharist and the Brian Meehan filly Good Morning Dubai, both of whom had already had a run, and who looked to have it between them as they duelled up front a furlong and a half out. They may have gone too fast, they may have set it up for a closer, but it is difficult to argue that the winner wasn’t the best filly in the race by some way, and wouldn’t have won anyway regardless of how the race was run. Maqaasid is immaculately bred, by Green Desert out of a three-parts sister the Ghanaati, a half-sister to Rumoush and Mawatheq from the top class Nashwan/Unfuwain family, and she could be very good. She showed a lot of pace here, and she could easily be good enough to win the Queen Mary next.

20th May 2010