New Approach's Masar Powers to Derby Glory

In a renewal of Epsom's G1 Investec Derby to savour, it was Godolphin's royal blue which led the way home with TDN Rising Star Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) belying odds of 16-1 to become the first to prevail in this great race in these famed silks. Always travelling smoothly alongside the 4-5 favourite Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in mid-division, the G1 2000 Guineas third went forward as soon as William Buick posed the question passing three out and he proved he stayed the mile and a half thoroughly to win by 1 1/2 lengths from Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}), with Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy) a half length away in third. Saxon Warrior met some trouble in running, but looked unhappy on the track when in the clear and could only finish 2 1/2 lengths further behind in fourth. “It is not easy to win it, but we are pleased to be here to do it with a horse from Dubai,” Sheikh Mohammed simply stated as he prepared to welcome back the first Derby winner in the Godolphin silks. “It's huge, massive,” Buick said. “This is my seventh Derby ride and there were a couple of times where I was thinking is my time ever going to come, so to do it for Sheikh Mohammed and his family in the royal blue makes me very happy. He stayed the trip and travelled beautifully. He's a very good horse and the team believed in him even though it didn't happen for him in the Guineas.”

Horses who can win a G3 Craven S. by nine lengths are categorically top-class and it was no surprise to see Masar sent off favourite for the Guineas back at Newmarket, but in that May 5 mile Classic he was left exposed on the wrong part of the track as Saxon Warrior enjoyed a dream trip down the middle. Not that tactics were the reason for their placings, with the winner clear best on that day and very few expected a turnaround in this race with the temptation to talk of Ballydoyle's favourite almost as if he was already one of the greats. When it came down to it, Masar handled Epsom like a dream whereas his Newmarket conqueror was all at sea late on. Masar saw out the trip with all the relish that his sire did 10 years ago and his relatives Sea the Stars (Ire) and Galileo (Ire) did in their respective Derbys, while perhaps Donnacha O'Brien's initial reaction on the way back to Newmarket's winner's enclosure that 10 furlongs is Saxon Warrior's true distance was prophetic. Masar had the “lucky” draw in 10 here, while Saxon Warrior was in the dreaded one stall and the winner enjoyed a clearer run through the race, but all that aside he was the better on this all-important occasion.

Masar's Craven performance did not come from nowhere, as he had flashed ability at two when beating the recent G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in the G3 Solario S. at Sandown and when third in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly on Arc day. Like another chestnut who was on the premises in the Guineas before storming to Derby glory in Generous (Ire), he started out over a short trip as a juvenile and it is worth remembering that the runner-up in his six-furlong debut at Goodwood last May was the leading sprinter Invincible Army (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Even his sixth behind Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) in Del Mar's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November was marked by a stirring finale having met significant trouble in running, but like many he was languishing in the backwaters approaching this test as Saxon Warrior's aura proved so beguiling for the purists. One voice that could be heard if people were willing to listen was Charlie Appleby's, as he issued nothing but positive bulletins in the lead-up and when the ground dried to good it was set fair for Godolphin's true homebred. Interestingly, his Classic season had amazingly begun with a failed try on dirt when 10th in the Listed Al Bastakiya at Meydan Mar. 10, but where Masar is concerned there seems to be no setback that is capable of diminishing his unstinting will.

In the race, Masar was out smartly with William Buick having to rein back as the Lingfield Derby Trial first and second Knight To Behold (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) carved it out up front. Masar and Saxon Warrior, the latter of which had to use some petrol to get up from his much-maligned draw, went comfortably beside each other halfway down the field and it was all straightforward until coming off Tattenham Hill. At the three-furlong pole, Masar was looking at clear daylight ahead but Ryan Moore was trapped behind his stablemate The Pentagon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Dee Ex Bee and that was where the pinch happened for the favourite. Masar strode effortlessly to the lead before the two pole and while Moore was trying to get Saxon Warrior to move around Roaring Lion and into a challenging position, his mount was wanting to hang down the camber. The Triple Crown dream died there and then. Roaring Lion, who had yet to beat Masar in two previous encounters, looked a real threat a furlong later but Masar had the greater stamina and kept rolling to the line with Dee Ex Bee plugging on into second despite looking unhappy on the track.

This was a magnificent result for the Maktoums, with the winner representing a triumph as a fourth-generation homebred whose relatives have been flagbearers at the Dubai carnival and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum finishing second with a colt from the first crop of the operation's recent stalwart Farhh. Charlie Appleby was exhilarated and said, “I always said when I started this job that all I wanted to do was to be the first trainer to have a winner in this race in the Godolphin blue and I'm so delighted for Sheikh Mohammed and all the royal family–it's a dream,” he said. “It's a fantastic team effort, Brett Doyle rides him every day and has been sweet on him since the Guineas. He said he would stay and William has given him a peach of a ride.”

Dee Ex Bee's trainer Mark Johnston was looking ahead to racing on more conventional tracks with the gallant runner-up, who left his G3 Chester Vase defeat well behind. “We came here with doubts about his effectiveness on the track and I'm not sure it suits,” he said. “Because of the camber he rolled on to the one on his inside, but he rallied again up the hill so it bodes really well for the future. You could go to the [G1] Irish Derby [at The Curragh June 30], but I've said before that I don't think I've ever had a horse more suited to the [G1] St Leger [at Doncaster Sept. 15], so I think it could be best to work backwards from that. He's still a big baby and probably the biggest horse in the field, everything suggests there should be better to come.”

Aidan O'Brien was not ruling out staying at a mile and a half with Saxon Warrior and going for the Irish Derby and said, “We will see how is, but I wouldn't rule it out.” Clearly disappointed, the Ballydoyle handler remained stoical in defeat. “It wasn't to be,” he said. “He ran a good race and I'd not like to take it away from the winner anyway. These things happen, but I wouldn't be making excuses. We will take him home and see how he is. It might have been all new to him as he was drawn in there and down there on the rail and it would have been a big shock to him. I've often seen that happen to horses and they leave a run behind them very quick. I think he was a little bit in awe of the whole thing, really. He is a baby horse. It's only his fifth run. We will look forward to him the next time. He has run on very easy, uncomplicated tracks and this is probably the first complicated track he has had to handle.” Ryan Moore commented, “He just didn't pick up. Maybe it was the track or the ground, but I just don't think he fired. These races are always tight–the winner got first run and I followed him through so I can't have too many excuses.”

Roaring Lion was again on the premises in his most straightforward display yet and he fully vindicated the decision of connections to head down this route. “He ran a blinder and I'm delighted with him,” John Gosden said. “He travelled well into the race. He did nothing wrong, he just simply didn't stay. He handled the track beautifully and came through, but he simply didn't stay the mile and a half. I think we will drop back to the mile and a quarter and the [G1] Eclipse [S. at Sandown July 7] is an obvious place to go.” David Redvers, racing manager for Qatar Racing, added, “I'm still all a flutter really, to see a horse travel that well over a field as good as that. We always had a doubt that this could be a step too far, certainly on this ground, and it's proven that, but we'll have a fun summer. What a machine, it's very exciting.”

Eighteen years after the third dam Melikah (Ire) (Lammtarra) was third in the Oaks here before finishing runner-up in the G1 Irish Oaks, Masar was bringing Epsom glory back home to this incredible family of Urban Sea (Miswaki). His dam is the G2 UAE Derby and G3 UAE Oaks heroine Khawlah (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), a half-sister to the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano winner and G1 Jebel Hatta runner-up Vancouverite (GB) (Dansili {GB}) connected to the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville winner and G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe third Masterstroke (Monsun {Ger}) and the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial and G3 Meld S. scorer Moonlight Magic (GB) who is also by Cape Cross. Nobody would bet against Masar adding another King George and Arc to the dynasty now that he is top dog among the Classic crop. Khawlah had a 2-year-old colt by Shamardal who unfortunately died this year, but she also has a filly foal by Dubawi (Ire) whose track appearance will be keenly anticipated.

Saturday, Epsom, Britain
INVESTEC DERBY-G1, £1,500,000, Epsom, 6-2, 3yo, 12f 6yT, 2:34.93, gd.
1–MASAR (IRE), 126, c, 3, by New Approach (Ire)
1st Dam: Khawlah (Ire) (Hwt. 3yo-UAE at 7-9.5f, MGSW-UAE & GSP-Eng, $1,366,175), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Villarrica, by Selkirk
3rd Dam: Melikah (Ire), by Lammtarra
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £850,650. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 9-4-0-3, $1,366,410. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Dee Ex Bee (GB), 126, c, 3, Farhh (GB)–Dubai Sunrise, by Seeking the Gold. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Godolphin (GB); T-Mark Johnston. £322,500.[bullet ad=”voute-farm-raised”]3–Roaring Lion, 126, c, 3, Kitten's Joy–Vionnet, by Street Sense. ($160,000 Ylg '16 KEESEP). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Ran Jan Racing Inc (KY); T-John Gosden. £161,400.
Margins: 1HF, HF, 2HF. Odds: 16.00, 20.00, 6.00.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]Also Ran: Saxon Warrior (Jpn), Hazapour (Ire), Delano Roosevelt (Ire), Young Rascal (Fr), The Pentagon (Ire), Kew Gardens (Ire), Sevenna Star (Ire), Knight To Behold (Ire), Zabriskie (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.