Nahrain

Nahrain got her career back on track on Sunday in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes at The Curragh, finishing a close third behind Up and Caponata.

The field raced in single file through the early stages of the race behind Manieree, with the exception of Up, who raced alongside Nahrain. The pace lifted around the home turn and Nahrain was a little outpaced at the top of the home straight. She was also caught in a pocket by the two joint favourites as Joseph O’Brien moved Up forward on her outside, and that meant Neil Callan initially had to look to go in between horses rather than pull Nahrain out to challenge down the outside. She was in danger of getting left behind a furlong and a half out, but, while she just lacked the pace of the front two, she did stay on strongly through the final furlong to get up for third from the long-time leader Manieree.

This was much more like it from Nahrain after two desperately disappointing runs this term, it suggests she has actually trained on as a four-year-old and may yet be able to get back to the level that she was at from the end of last season. On this evidence, she could improve for stepping up to a mile and a half now, she was doing her best work at the finish here on a stiff track off a fairly strong pace. Her dam won the Ribblesdale over that trip, and was also second in the Oaks, so there is indeed every chance that Nahrain could thrive over that trip now at four.

She didn’t run as a two-year-old but she progressed with just about every run last year, narrowly failing to add the Breeders’ Cup Filly And Mare Turf to her Group 1 win in the Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp. This run could kick-start another productive autumn campaign for the daughter of Selkirk.

9th September 2012