By Stefanie Grimm
Silawi (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) continued a big day internationally for Wathnan Racing Saturday, giving the ownership group a second top-level win on the day in the GI Pattison Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine.
Making his North American debut, the Irish-bred gelded son of Dubawi has racked up plenty of air miles through the years, though perhaps not as many as race favorite Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Silawi spent much of his formative years in France, breaking his maiden in his fifth start at Saint-Cloud in April 2023. Second in a the G3 Prix du Lys as a 3-year-old, he then shipped to Qatar where he contested both the Derby Trial and the G1 Qatar Derby late that same year before hopping a plane once more to both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for runs in the G1 Jebel Hatta and the Saudi International Handicap in early 2024. On the road three more times in the year since (back to France, to Qatar and then to England), Siwali finally got back in the winner's enclosure last time out taking the G3 Weatherbys Global Stallions App Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor going 1 1/4 miles Aug. 23.
He joined stablemate Haunted Dream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {Ire}) in the gate Saturday for Hamad Al-Jehani but was the less favored of the pair, going off at 10-1. Racing with the addition of Lasix for the first time Saturday, Silawi saw one path to victory and it was straight to the lead. Sharp from his outer draw, the longshot had only minor only pressure from both Nations Pride and My Boy Prince (Cairo Prince) who sat off his tail with one lap remaining past the half in :47.30. Still unhurried and on his own on his second time into the backstretch, Silawi continued to sneak away and had a clear, several-length margin back to Nations Pride who was left as the only pursuer into the far turn as the mile went in 1:37.53.
From there, it became clear that Billy Loughnane, who inherited the ride aboard the race favorite from the injured William Buick, was already working and doing little to cut into the gap with a quarter to run. American runner Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile) found his best stride inside the furlong pole and came with a challenge up the rail but, while the final result wound up tight, Silawi never let him by to upset the field and earn his first Grade I win. Nations Pride hung on for third. The final time of 2:27.52 was a new course record at Woodbine.
“It is a lucky day for me,” said winning jockey Faleh Bughenaim who also picked up the catch ride Saturday. “Daniel [Tudhope] told me he cannot get the flight and Hamad (trainer, Al-Jehani), gave me a chance to ride. He's one of the best horses we have in our yard in Newmarket, and Hamad and his assistant believe Silawi can do great races. He gave me a nice Group 1 [win] in Canada, and I was happy it worked out.”
Al-Jehani added: “Silawi is a frontrunner, and with this racecourse, I think with a tighter track, I think you got a huge advantage if you are in front, and we know that the Godolphin horse (Nations Pride), he's a nice horse, and if we decide to make a different plan, it will be hard to beat him. So, we take that advantage to go forward, and we make the pace from the beginning and follow the plan very well, and I think he deserves to be here in the winning enclosure today. It's not a surprise because I feel from the beginning when we start to do the entry. I believed if Silawi came to Woodbine racecourse, he can show greater performance. So, the trainer is not always right, but today I'm right, so it's a great result for the team. That result, it's not coming from Hamad Al-Jehani alone–it's coming from all the team.”
Wathnan Racing, who purchased Silawi as a 3-year-old at the Arqana Arc Sale in 2023 for €380,000, also saw top-level success Saturday when their Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) took the G1 Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket earlier in the day. And if that weren't enough, another Wathnan runner First Look (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) took down the G2 Qatar Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp.
Pedigree Note:
Silawi is the 51st winner at the Grade/Group I level for Darley stallion sensation Dubawi who also counts champions like Rebel's Romance amongst his top 2025 runners. As you would expect from a horse bred by Wertheimer et Frere, the gelding is impeccibly well bred out of a homebred mare who conquered both the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches and the G1 Pour Moi Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary before retiring to her broodmare career where she has produced four winners from five to race. Silawi's best siblings include his 3-year-old full-brother Silius (Ire) who is a stakes winner in France and placed in multiple graded stakes there as well along with half-brother Fasol (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who is MGSP in France also. The family has been in the Wertheimer et Frere studbook all the way back through Silawi's fifth dam in Vallee Dansante who was born in Kentucky in 1981. Silasol has a 2-year-old unraced Night of Thunder colt, a yearling Kingman colt and a filly by Churchill born this year.
Saturday, Woodbine
CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL S.-GI, C$760,000, Woodbine, 10-4, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:27.52, fm.
1–SILAWI (IRE), 126, g, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Silasol (Ire) (Hwt. Filly-Fr, MG1SW-Fr,
$640,479), by Monsun (Ger)
2nd Dam: Stormina, by Gulch
3rd Dam: Brooklyn's Storm, by Storm Cat
1ST GRADE I WIN. (€380,000 3yo '23 ARARC). O-Wathnan
Racing; B-Wertheimer Et Frere (Ire); T-H.A. Al Jehani; J-Faleh
Nasser Bughenaim. C$450,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Fr,
GSW-Eng, 26-4-4-4, $534,401. *1/2 to Fasol (GB) (Galileo
{Ire}), MGSP-Fr, $142,626; Full to Silius (Ire), SW & MGSP-Fr,
$157,328. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Tawny Port, 126, h, 6, Pioneerof the Nile–Livi Makenzie,
by Macho Uno. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($430,000 Ylg '20
KEESEP). O-Peachtree Stable; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Miguel Clement. C$150,000.
3–Nations Pride (Ire), 126, h, 6, Teofilo (Ire)–Important Time
(Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). O/B-Godolphin (Ire); T-Charles
Appleby. C$75,000.
Margins: NO, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 10.45, 4.70, 1.00.
Also Ran: Dancin in Da'nile, Haunted Dream (Ire), Tosen Wish (Ire), English Actor, Raptor's (Brz), Roscar, My Boy Prince. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#7 SILAWI ($22.90) holds on to win the $750,000 The Canadian International (G1) at @Woodbinetb. Faleh Nasser Bughenaim was aboard the Dubawi gelding for trainer H.A. Al Jehani.. pic.twitter.com/zxKHDSWtBs
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 4, 2025
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