The three-year-old Tamayuz gelding Shawaaheq ran out a gutsy winner of the seven and a half-furlong median auction maiden at Beverley yesterday, under a forceful Eddy Greatrex ride.
Interestingly, he was breaking his duck over the same course and distance that his mother Jabhaat was twice successful over for us in 2012/13, before going on to be Listed-placed at up to a mile and a quarter. Jabhaat’s previous progeny Qawaames was placed for us on numerous occasions last season, whilst the familial link runs right through the yard, as Jabhaat’s sibling Daafy is a member of our current crop of two-year-olds.
Shawaaheq himself had got his career off to an inauspicious start when running down the field at Kempton on his November debut, but gave a hint of his true abilities when finishing a narrow fourth at Wolverhampton just before Christmas.
He was gelded after that effort, and took a little while to come back to himself after the operation. However, he showed the benefit of the operation when finishing second on his seasonal return at Leicester last month and we thought we had found a good opening for him yesterday at Beverley.
Breaking nicely in miserable conditions, he was a little keen in the early stages, but Eddy worked hard to get him settled in behind the pace-setting Serengeti Song and he went on to dispute second with Summer Bride for much of the journey. As they really began to crest the turn around three furlongs out, Shawaaheq was briefly off the bridle and looking uncomfortable, with Serengeti Song making a bold bid from the front, and Summer Bride showing a more immediate turn of pace. However, between the two and the furlong pole, Shawaaheq really began to respond to Eddy’s persuasion, and he found a path between the front pair to poke his nose in front around half a furlong from home. Market rival Spirit of Lund really stayed on strongly from further back to get within a length and a quarter at the line, but Shawaaheq was well on top and ultimately he ran out a decisive winner.
Shawaaheq has already attained a handicap rating of 76, and based on this evidence there should be more to come. His breeding indicates that he will stay further in time, and he did nothing to contradict that view yesterday afternoon. Not over big, but brave and very game, hopefully we can find a suitable opportunity for this likeable sort in handicap company in the coming weeks.
We send our warmest congratulations to Shawaaheq’s owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, and thank all the staff in the yard and out on track for their continued hard work during this very busy part of the season.