Albaasil

Albaasil was most impressive in coming away from what looked beforehand like a good field of three-year-olds in the Class 2 32Red Casino Handicap over a mile on Newmarket’s July Course on Saturday, the last day of the July Festival. He was well backed all day, and he was backed again on course, and the support proved well placed.

He had a decent enough draw in stall five, with all the action on the day developing down the stands side after Brae Hill’s solo victory from that side in the Bunbury Cup, but Richard Hills dropped him in, connections possibly keen for him to learn to settle. He did settle, indeed he travelled like a good horse, still in the last wave of horses at the half-way point, and he made smooth progress as they came inside the final quarter of a mile. Despite having to challenge a little way off the favoured stands side rail, he quickly put the race to bed entering the final furlong and strode clear powerfully in the style of a really talented horse.

Sir Michael Stoute’s son of Dansili was no match for The Paddyman on his sole run at two, but that rival had previous experience and went on to finish second to Libranno in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood on his next start, and Albaasil was comfortably ahead of the rest. He returned to Yarmouth for his next run 11 months later where he won a three-year-old maiden nicely in a good time, below standard and much the fastest comparative time of the day. That is a maiden often used by big Newmarket yards to run a nice horse, Tazeez and Class Is Class feature on the recent roll of honour, so the likelihood is that the Stoute team knew exactly what sort of calibre of horse they had on their hands. Sea Lord won this race last year before going on to win the Totesport Mile, and then the Listed Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury. Sea Lord was winning off 101. A 10lb hike to a mark of 98 is reasonable, because this was a comprehensive success and he has a huge amount of potential.

9th July 2011