A’Shaari

A’Shaari shaped like a filly who might appreciate a drop back down in trip in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on Sunday. Very keen through the early stages of the race, she didn’t really drop the bridle until they got to the seven-furlong marker. She travelled well from there, and she moved up threateningly on the near side on the run to the two-furlong marker. She travelled like the most likely winner at that point, put she quickly came under pressure, and had no answer when Mystery Angel picked up towards the far side. She weakened from there, and eventually finished just fifth.

The Godolphin filly had looked good in winning a novice stakes on her racecourse debut at Newmarket last August over seven furlongs. This was her first run since, so it is legitimate to expect that she will progress from it. She is out of Hibaayeb, who won a Ribblesdale Stakes, but she is a half-sister to Wuheida, who won a Prix Marcel Boussac over a mile and a Dahlia Stakes over nine furlongs, and it looks like she will be happier dropping down in trip rather than stepping up in trip. She is entered in the Oaks and in the Coronation Stakes, so it looks like connections weren’t sure whether she would be going up in trip or down in trip, but she will be interesting now if she drops back down to a mile or nine furlongs. She obviously has lots of pace, and the faster pace that they go over a shorter trip should help her settle better.
Newmarket, 2^nd May 2021