Mustashry hits Group 1 target in Lockinge Stakes

Six-year-old gelding Mustashry, a dual Group 2 winner in 2018, hit the Group 1 target at the second attempt when powering home to defeat Laurens in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury yesterday. He was unplaced in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November on his only previous try at the highest level.

The Hamdan Al Maktoum homebred, who is trained by Sir Michael Stoute, showed a good turn of foot in the final furlong and beat the multiple Group 1-winning filly by two and a half lengths despite drifting to his right.

Last year's surprise Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes winner Accidental Agent was another half-length back in third, finishing three-parts of a length in front of 2018's Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas scorer Romanised who was, in turn, a head and half-length in front of the Ballydoyle pair Le Brivido and I Can Fly. The first of that pair was slowly away and met with some trouble in running before running on well in the closing stages, and he could be winning in pattern company soon.

The winner, who was beaten by a total of three and three-quarter lengths when third to Zabeel Prince in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes on his previous start, holds entries in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes and Group 1 Coral-Eclipse.

What a race!
Mustashry wins the Lockinge in great style under @JimCrowley1978
Congratulations to connections □□□ pic.twitter.com/uM432IQJPn

— Newbury Racecourse (@NewburyRacing) May 18, 2019

Mustashry, who has won eight of his 18 starts, is a son of Derrinstown Stud stallion Tamayuz (by Nayef). It is somewhat of a surprise that the relation to Urban Sea (by Miswaki) has only sired 21 stakes winners to date given that they include classic-winning miler Precieuse, Group 1-winning sprinter G Force, Grade 1 E P Taylor Stakes heroine Blond Me, and the Group 2 scorers Desert Skyline, Gallic Chieftain, and Sir Prancealot.

The tally also includes the Group 1-placed blacktype scorers Thawaany and Tupi, plus the pattern-winning fillies Hunaina and Making Light, so clearly he is more than capable of siring high-class racehorses. We can expect Tamayuz's tally to increase and his Group 1 record to strengthen over the next few years.

Mustashry is a half-brother to the Group 3-placed multiple handicap scorer Munaaser (by New Approach) and is the best of several winning offspring of Safwa (by Green Desert). She won over a mile and is a half-sister to Maraahel (by Alzao), the high-class middle-distance horse whose seven pattern wins featured back-to-back editions of the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot.

He beat Mountain High in the race in 2006, then Scorpion in 2007, and between those two wins he came within a short-head of adding the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York, pipped at the line by Notnowcato – one of five times that he was placed at the highest level.

Safwa's siblings also include Group 3 Prestige Stakes third Huja (by Alzao) – whose son Tazahum (by Redoute's Choice) won the Listed Heron Stakes and was placed in two editions of the Group 3 Strensall Stakes – and she is out of nine-furlong winner Nasanice (by Nashwan), a half-sister to four mares of note.

Stakes winner Sahool (by Unfuwain) was runner-up in both the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks and Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes before becoming the dam of the Group 3 Cumberland Stakes scorer Laraaib (by Pivotal), Mathool (by Alhaarth) is the dam of Irish listed scorer Erysimum (by Arcano), Sarawati (by Haafhd) is the dam of Group 1 Gran Premio del Jockey Club winner and Group 1 St Leger runner-up Ventura Storm (by Zoffany), and Alikhlas (by Lahib) is the winning dam of Gutaifan (by Dark Angel).

The last-named was a quicker sort than many in his family – although there are some sprinters farther back in his branch of the page – and he was retired to stud at the end of his two-year-old season having won the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin and Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes and been runner-up in the Group 1 Prix Morny. He stands alongside his sire at Yeomanstown Stud in Ireland and is off the mark as a freshman sire of 2019.

Mustashry, who was Timeform-rated 121 as a four-year-old and 122 at five, appears to be at least as good as ever, if not better, at the age of six. He is a fine advertisement for his sire and looks set to play a prominent role in the best mile and possibly ten-furlong races of the year.