Behkabad

Behkabad was the only horse, out of those who raced from off the pace, to get into the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly last Sunday. Jean-Claude Rouget’s colt was drawn in stall 13 and was held up in midfield by jockey Christophe Lemaire through the first part of the race. As they approached the straight, Behkabad just got squeezed in between runners and was knocked off his stride, but he picked up again for Lemaire who brought him down the outside and he stayed on really well from here. The winner on the day was very impressive, Lope De Vega, and was not for catching, but Behkabad ran on well into fourth place, finishing best of all.

This was a nice run from Behkabad, who was stepping up in trip for the first time. Even the bare form of this run was high class, but his performance was even better than it looks on paper, as the race was dominated by the horses who raced handily, and Behkabad was the best of those who were held up, finishing his race really well despite getting a bump three furlongs out. It may not have been the plan to come from off the pace. On his previous run, he won a Group 3 impressively from the front at the same track, so considering that, he could be much more effective next time if racing more prominently.

Given the way he finished, he left the impression that a step up to a mile and a half would not pose a problem. His breeding does not really suggest that on first glance, he is a son of Cape Cross out of a Kris mare, but the Kris mare is Behkara, who won a Group 2 race over a mile and seven furlongs and who finished second to Westerner in a Prix Royal-Oak, and he is a half-brother to Carthage, the former Behestam, who won a listed race over a mile and a half and was only narrowly beaten by Cavalryman in the Group 2 Prix Niel over the same distance. He will be of interest if he takes his chance in either the Irish Derby or the Grand Prix de Paris, especially as it is unlikely that he will meet Lope De Vega in either, with connections of that horse not keen to travel or step up in trip.

6th June 2010