Rare Rhythm a promising stayer for Dubawi

RARE RHYTHM (GB) - 2012 bay gelding

Classic-winning miler and leading international sire Dubawi (by Dubai Millennium) gets most of his best representatives in the very broad five to 12-furlong range – as one might expect of a stallion with his pedigree – but he also gets a few who stays farther. Rare Rhythm is one of those.

The lightly-raced six-year-old is trained by Charlie Appleby for the Godolphin team and he notched up his first pattern race success when beating Vazirabad by one and three-quarter lengths in the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 14 furlongs at Meydan. The pair pulled seven and three-quarter lengths clear of Sheikhzayedroad, with the mare Natural Scenery a half-length back in fourth and Red Galileo fifth.

This result was striking from a pedigree point of view as, with four of those first five home being offspring of the star of Dalham Hall Stud's stallion team, a newcomer to the industry, or someone inexperienced on pedigrees, could get the impression that he's an ideal source of stayers.

This was Rare Rhythm's first start since he beat Barsanti easily in a listed contest over the same trip at York last July, which came a few weeks after he took a 12-furlong handicap at Ascot, and those have been his only runs since June 2016 when, on his only four-year-old outing, he finished down the field in a valuable handicap at Royal Ascot.

William Buick grabs first run on the Charlie Appleby-trained Rare Rhythm to land the Nad Al Sheba Did Buick catch Christophe Soumillon napping? pic.twitter.com/TGsF5V5ACB

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) March 1, 2018

Rare Rhythm was bred in England by Highclere Stud and Floors Farming and the 650,000gns Book 1 graduate of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale is the best of three winners from the first three foals out of the stakes-placed Demisemiquaver (by Singspiel).

Her siblings include the Grade 2-placed US Grade 3 scorer Miss Caerleona (by Caerleon) and a trio of listed-placed runners: Mr Academy (by Royal Academy), Mister Shoot (by Shining Steel), and Tincture (by Dr Fong). The latter was third in the Listed Cheshire Oaks and the first-named got his blacktype over 15 furlongs.

Miss Caerleona came up with two high-class daughters. Miss Coronado (by Coronado's Quest), who won the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park and is the dam of the Grade 1-placed stakes winner Arethusa (by A.P. Indy), and the other one is the high-class miler Karen's Caper (by War Chant). That Group 1 Coronation Stakes and Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup runner-up won the Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket, the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth and Grade 3 Noble Damsel Handicap at Belmont Park, and she is the dam of Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas scorer Kinglet (by Kingmambo).

Miss Caerleona is also responsible for the unraced Miss Kilroy (by A.P. Indy), who is the dam of two US stakes winners and of Group 1 Irish Oaks runner-up Miss Jean Brodie (by Maria's Mon), in addition to being the grandam of Chilean-bred seven and a half-furlong Grade 2 scorer Ludy Lucia (by Aragorn) and of Group 1-placed, pattern-winning sprinter Comicas (by Distorted Humor).

The grandam of Rare Rhythm is, therefore, Listed Prix Melisande winner Miss D'Ouilly (by Bikala) and that mare's daughters also include Night Frolic (by Night Shift), a heavy-ground mile maiden winner whose Group 1-placed son Bonfire (by Manduro) won the Group 2 Dante Stakes at York and whose Grade 1-placed daughter Joviality (by Cape Cross) took both the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at that same venue and the Group 2 Winter Forest Stakes at Ascot.

Third dam Miss Satin (by Satingo) also won a listed race in France and her star runner is Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois heroine Miss Satamixa (by Linamix). She is also responsible for Mrs Annie (by Bolkonski), the Group 3 Prix d'Arenberg-placed dam of pattern winners Mister Sicy (by Sicyos), Manninamix (by Linamix), and Mister Riv (by River River), and also of Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary third Mrs Arkada (by Akarad).

With these family connections one might have expected Rare Rhythm to be best in the mile to 12-furlong range. The time of his pattern success was good and it will be interesting to see how the rest of his season goes as he will need to step up again in trip, to at least two miles, if he is to make an impact in the stayers' division.