By Tom Frary
Showing marked ability when overcoming a tardy start to win on debut in a six-furlong novice contest May 20 on the Rowley Mile at which her second dam Natagora enjoyed her finest hours in the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Cheveley Park S., Tajaanus was tried in the Listed Empress Fillies' S. over the same trip on this course July 1. Suffering interference and still green when sixth there, the homebred was moved up in distance and showed battling qualities to land the Listed Star S. over seven at Sandown July 27. Building on that effort and much more professional here, the bay was able to emerge on top of a brigade of potentially smart fillies in this competitive renewal. Kept stand's side by Dane O'Neill as all bar one of her rivals went up the centre led by Juliet Capulet, she began to assert from that rival passing the two-furlong pole as the runners spread across the track. Toughing it out up the hill as Dance Diva (GB) (Mayson {GB}), the favourite Poetic Charm (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Capla Temptress all had a shot at the target, she emerged clear-best in a race in which it played to be handy.
Trainer Richard Hannon is eyeing the 2018 Classics now. “She has done nothing wrong all year. She is a lovely, tough filly with a great attitude,” he said. “She was very unlucky here against Dance Diva when she couldn't get a run in the Listed race. That's only her fourth run and she has won three of them now. She has been a star. We will probably have a look at the [G2] Rockfel and also the [G1] Fillies' Mile [on Newmarket's Rowley Mile Sept. 29 and Oct. 13]. It's always a pretty good race and I managed to get Sky Lantern beaten in this and she won the Guineas. I am very pleased for Sheikh Hamdan as she is a homebred by his stallion out of his mare. I think she will get as far as you like, as she is very willing and doesn't pull. She does pretty much what you want. She has got loads of ability. Of course at this stage you would like to say she is Guineas filly, but there's a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and then. We will treat her like a Guineas filly until she proves otherwise.”
Natagora, who was sold privately to Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the culmination of her 3-year-old campaign, has two black-type performers to her credit including Rayaheen's half-sister Raaqy (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) who was third in the Listed Star S. that this filly won in 2015. Her 3-year-old colt Mankib (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) was thought good enough by Freddy Head to run in this year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and was not disgraced in eighth. From the family of the 1988 G1 Prix de Diane heroine and champion Resless Kara (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}), the dam's second foal is a yearling colt by Intikhab.
Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
GERMAN-THOROUGHBRED.COM SWEET SOLERA S.-G3, £40,000, NEW, 8-12, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:26.35, g/s.
1–TAJAANUS (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Arcano (Ire)
1st Dam: Rayaheen (GB), by Nayef
2nd Dam: Natagora (Fr), by Divine Light (Jpn)
3rd Dam: Reinamixa (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
*1st Group win. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Richard Hannon; J-Dane O'Neill. £22,684. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-0, $58,198. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Juliet Capulet (Ire), 126, f, 2, Dark Angel (Ire)–Capulet Monteque (Ire), by Camacho (GB). (€235,000 Ylg '16 GOFORB). O-Cheveley Park Stud; B-Yeomanstown Stud (IRE); T-John Gosden. £8,600.
3–Capla Temptress (Ire), 126, f, 2, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Mrs Beeton (Ire), by Dansili (GB). (€26,000 Ylg '16 GOFORB). O-Team Valor; B-Pier House Stud (IRE); T-Marco Botti. £4,304.
Margins: 1, 1, HD. Odds: 10.00, 20.00, 5.00.
Also Ran: Ertiyad (GB), Poetic Charm (GB), Mayyasah, Mamba Noire (Fr), Dance Diva (GB), Jousi (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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