Al Shaqab Racing’s Sahlan strikes in Gr.3 Prix Daphnis at Deauville
Mdmar – France – JDG
Sahlan (Wootton Bassett), a talented 3-year-old colt, returned to winning ways in style when taking the Gr.3 Prix Daphnis – Samuel Liberman over 1600m at Deauville on Sunday, 10th August evening.
The race, for 3-year-olds only, brought together a competitive field of 12 runners.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, ridden by Mickaël Barzalona, and owned and bred by Al Shaqab Racing, the homebred had previously shown his class when beaten just a nose by a smart rival in the Gr.3 Prix de Fontainebleau on his seasonal return.
While things didn’t go his way in his next two outings, Sahlan bounced back here to secure a deserved first Group victory.
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Restrained towards the rear from the start, Sahlan settled in ninth alongside Tito Mo Cen (Uncle Mo), a long way behind the front-runner and race favourite Scoville (Too Darn Hot), who was setting a strong pace. As the field bunched up entering the final bend, the leader kicked clear with Madero (Lope De Vega) in pursuit, while Sahlan was still improving gradually, looking for a gap on the outside. Once in the clear, he quickened smartly, storming past his rivals to take the lead inside the final 100 metres, ultimately winning by a length and a half from Ciaran (Van Beethoven), with Silius (Dubawi) taking third.
Bred by Al Shaqab Racing, Sahlan is out of Wasmya (Toronado), a Listed winner over 1400m at three. Wasmya is a daughter of Lamorlaye (Danehill Dancer) and a half-sister to Wahdan (Siyouni), a winner over 1900m at three and third in a Gr.2 over 2000m at the same age. She is also a half-sister to Talbah (Style Vendome), a winner over 1500m at three and third in a Gr.3 over 1400m at three.
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The “Mdmar” website which was Founded by Khaled Makhlouf in 2007 for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
