Baaeed’s half-brother Naqeeb beaten on Leicester debut

Wintercrack springs 20-1 surprise as testing ground takes toll.

Naqeeb, half-brother to the mighty Baaeed, was third on his racecourse bow in the Rekorderlig Premium Fruit Cider Maiden Stakes at Leicester.

The three-year-old is by Nathaniel and out of the mare Aghareed, the same Shadwell-owned dam who produced the superb seven-time Group One scorer.

Also trained by William Haggas, Naqeeb runs in the same silks of Sheikha Hissa’s breeding and racing operation and was the 5-4 favourite under Jim Crowley when taking to the track for the first time.

Hard work over 10 furlongs on soft ground he was third, beaten six and a quarter lengths behind Pam Sly’s Wintercrack and Ryan Potter’s Fazayte.

Shadwell’s Richard Hills said: “He just got very tired quickly in that ground.

Naqeeb prior to his racecourse debut
Naqeeb prior to his racecourse debut (Adam Morgan/PA)

“He needs better ground, it’s holding and it’s his first time out.

“William’s (horses) will come on for their first run. We’ve been struggling to get on the grass at Newmarket and today, with that holding ground, it just caught him out.”

Sly’s winner was a 20-1 chance in the hands of Kieran O’Neill after two heavily-beaten efforts previously, but defied those odds in good style from the front.

Wintercrack is by Sly’s Speciosa, winner of the 1000 Guineas in 2006 and whose bloodline the trainer has been successfully cultivating since.

“She’ll get a handicap mark now, she’ll only be in the high 60s, they wouldn’t do anything else as she’s had some bad runs,” said Sly.

Wintercrack with connections
Wintercrack with connections (Adam Morgan/PA)

“I don’t know why they gave her such a lead. That Kieran’s jolly good, isn’t he?

“All the family from Speciosa, they all want a bit of give, all of them.

“I’ve got them ready early so I could get them out, but they’ll all probably have to have a break in the summer and then come back in the autumn.”

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