Misheer

There was an awful lot to like about Misheer’s victory in the Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket on Wednesday. Drawn well on the near side, she was always just a tiny bit more keen than Neil Callan appeared to want in the early stages. Capercaillie and Raddy ‘Ell Pauline set a fast enough tempo, but even at that, it didn’t appear as if they were going quickly enough for Misheer. Passing the two-furlong pole, Clive Brittain’s filly was travelling by far the best in the field, and she found as much as it looked like she would when Callan asked her to pick up, taking it up at the furlong pole and careering away to win by about four lengths, going away, in a good time, just 0.09secs/furlong slower than Racing Post standard on a day when only one race, the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes, dipped below standard.

Neil Callan said afterwards that Misheer had got more relaxed and professional in her homework since she had finished second to Jealous Again in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, well clear of her rivals, some of whom re-opposed here, and it showed, as she beat her Ascot rivals even more impressively here over an extra furlong than she did at the Royal meeting. She has now won three of her four starts, she has won on easy ground and on fast ground and the only horse who as ever beaten her out of the 38 who have taken her on is Jealous Again, an American speedball who was primed to run for her life in the Queen Mary. Furthermore, Misheer had suffered a bit of a setback during the week leading up to the Queen Mary, which wasn’t ideal, yet she still beat all her compatriots. Misheer is improving markedly.

Last Wednesday’s performance was her best yet by some way. Runner-up, the Albany winner, Habaayib, set a fair standard, and Misheer beat her by more than three lengths, achieving by far her highest Racing Post Rating yet. Her trainer won the Cherry Hinton with Sayyedati in 1992, and that filly went on to win the Moyglare and the Cheveley Park before the end of the season before winning the 1000 Guineas the following year. The Cherry Hinton often hasn’t had a great bearing on the top juvenile fillies’ races later in the season, but 2005 winner Donna Blini won the Cheveley Park, and wondefilly Attraction won the Cherry Hinton in 2003 en route to landing both the Newmarket and the Irish Guineas the following season. Misheer is a Moyglare possible, but she is by Oasis Dream out of a Cadeaux Genereux mare, and she is so keen in her races that you have to think that she will be better over six furlongs than seven this term, so the Lowther Stakes followed by the Cheveley Park could be a better route for her. She is a hugely exciting prospect.

8th July 2009