By Tom Frary
Second at 40-1 to Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) in last year's G2 Duke of Cambridge S., Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar's Aljazzi (GB) (Shamardal) cut an altogether different dash in Wednesday's renewal as she surged to an emphatic 3 3/4-length success to provide trainer Marco Botti with a first Royal Ascot winner. Warming up with a return third in the G2 Sandown Mile Apr. 27, the homebred bay was only 9-2 this time and travelled strongly towards the rear under William Buick. Delivered to swamp Tribute Act (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) with a furlong remaining, she rushed into the clear from there as Wilamina (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) stuck on for third and the 7-4 favourite Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) checked out in eighth. “The race worked out perfectly, as she's a filly who warms up into her race and this is a track that can suit closers,” jockey William Buick said. “At halfway, she really came alive underneath me and gives you a lot of confidence. She ran well at Sandown last time on soft ground and needs this ground.”
Marco Botti, from a gilded Italian racing dynasty, had quickly established a healthy reputation from his Newmarket base and the son of Alduino Botti was behind the rise of one of Frankel's chief rivals Excelebration (Ire). His wait for a Royal winner only confirms how difficult it is to capture one of this meeting's prizes, but Aljazzi has thrived for the patience that can only reap such rewards as these. Brought along steadily after finishing 10th when pitched into the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May 2016, she took the Listed Dick Hern Fillies' S. that August and Kempton's Listed Snowdrop Fillies' S. last April before letting the cat out of the bag in this contest. Off until winning the G3 Atalanta S. at Sandown in September, she ran ninth in the G1 Sun Chariot S. back at Newmarket in October and seventh in the following month's GII Goldikova S. at Del Mar. Her comeback on rain-softened ground in the Sandown Mile was far enough away from this for her to build her condition gradually and it was clear as soon as Buick pulled the trigger her peak effort was too much for these rivals.
Botti is looking at the July 13 G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket for the winner. “We have been so close here so many times with horses like Dandino, Excelebration and Euro Charline and it is just nice to finally get one on the board. I am really delighted and I have to thank the owners for keeping Aljazzi in training. Last year, she came here as an outsider whereas today she was a shorter price. She winds herself up a bit before races and takes a little bit out of herself, so we tend to space her races out. Everything went to plan. There is a month until the Falmouth Stakes and I would think that will fit in very well. This is why we wake up in the morning, we all want to have winners here. It is job done and I am really pleased for everybody.”
Soviet Song's relative Tribute Act fully justified the decision by trainer James Fanshawe to supplement for this and he said, “She ran really well. She's always looked good at home and last year she wasn't quite right. She has really thrived since she was second in the fillies' handicap here in May and I rang [Elite Racing's] Tony Hill and Dan [Downie] and said, 'Can we supplement her?' They were game on and it has paid off. She's a beautiful filly.”
Aljazzi's owner-breeders Imad Al Sagar and Saleh Al Homaizi, who enjoyed Derby glory with Authorized (Ire), are building a smart breeding operation and this was their most notable achievement to date. Their racing manager and breeding advisor Tony Nerses bought this winner's second dam Majestic Sakeena (Ire) (King's Best) at the Tattersalls December Sale 12 years ago and she is a half to the Listed Oppenheim-Rennen scorer Shy Lady (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}). Her four black-type winners include the G1 St James's Palace S.-winning sire Zafeen (Fr) (Zafonic) and the G3 Prix du Calvados winner Ya Hajar (GB) (Lycius), who in turn is the dam of the Listed Patton S. winner and G3 Diamond S. runner-up Prince of All (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}). Also from the family of the G2 Diadem S.-winning sire Diffident (Fr) (Nureyev), Majestic Sakeena's three black-type performers are Aljazzi's Listed John Musker Fillies' S.-winninng dam Nouriya (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), and the listed-placed Yuften (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Lady Nouf (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}). Nouriya's 2-year-old filly is by Australia (GB), while she also has a yearling filly by Frankel (GB), a colt foal by Golden Horn (GB) and is in foal to the owners' 2017 G1 Irish Champion S. hero Decorated Knight (GB). Al Sagar said, “We now know the family well and they all flourish with age–she has done really well from four to five. At one point in time, we thought she might be good enough for the 1000 Guineas, but after that race we realised she wasn't quite ready.”
Wednesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE S.-G2, £188,250, Ascot, 6-20, 4yo/up, f, 8fT, 1:40.53, g/f.
1–ALJAZZI (GB), 126, m, 5, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Nouriya (GB) (MSW-Eng),
by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Majestic Sakeena (Ire), by King's Best
3rd Dam: Shy Danceuse, by Groom Dancer
O/B-Saleh Al Homaizi & Imad Al Sagar (GB); T-Marco Botti;
J-William Buick. £106,757. Lifetime Record: 14-5-1-1,
$338,445. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A.
2–Tribute Act (GB), 126, f, 4, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Sister Act
(GB), by Marju (Ire). O/B-Elite Racing Club (GB); T-James
Fanshawe. £40,474.
3–Wilamina (Ire), 126, m, 5, Zoffany (Ire)–Tropical Lake (Ire), by
Lomond. (€13,000 Wlg '13 GOFNOV; €50,000 Ylg '14
GOFORB). O-The Snailwell Stud; B-John Boden & Willie Kane
(IRE); T-Martyn Meade. £20,256.
Margins: 3 3/4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 4.50, 10.00, 5.50.
Also Ran: Urban Fox (GB), Tomyris (GB), Promising Run, Arabian Hope, Hydrangea (Ire), Billesdon Bess (GB), Unforgetable Filly (GB), Lincoln Rocks (GB).Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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