Mohammed seeking suitable starting point for Zain Claudette

Trainer wants to kick off over seven furlongs after ruling out Guineas run.

Ismail Mohammed is seeking a seven-furlong contest for Zain Claudette after opting to side-step the Qipco 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

The filly was victorious three times in five runs last season, taking a maiden in June before landing the Group Three Princess Margaret at Ascot and the Group Two Lowther Stakes at York.

A step up in calibre followed in the Cheveley Park at Newmarket in September, but the going proved to be too quick for the chestnut and she finished 10th of 12.

Zain Claudette did hold an entry for the 1000 Guineas and was due to return to the Rowley Mile to make her seasonal debut in the seven-furlong Nell Gwyn earlier in the month, but the race came too soon.

As a result the three-year-old also misses the Guineas as Mohammed focuses on finding her a suitable seven-furlong race before making the step up to a mile.

Zain Claudette in action at York
Zain Claudette in action at York (Nigel French/PA)

“We’ve brought her back to training and she is very well, she had some very good races last year,” the trainer said.

“She is not going to the Guineas, we’ve pulled her out. We will have so many options for her, so we will see where to go with her.

“It could be Royal Ascot, there are many races for her.

“I need to find a good race over seven furlongs as I don’t want to go directly from six (furlongs) to a mile.

“I want to find at least one good race for her over seven furlongs before we go for a mile.”

Zain Claudette and Ray Dawson
Zain Claudette and Ray Dawson (Nigel French/PA)

Mohammed also provided an update on Away He Goes, a Group One runner-up in the Goodwood Cup last season and a horse who was due to run in the Melbourne Cup before a late injury setback scuppered his chances.

“He is OK, he had to do his quarantine in Dubai to come back to the UK,” he said.

“He was in Australia, we brought him to Dubai and he should be back by the end of the month.

“We will run him in the UK, we are entering races but we need to see how fit he is before we find a good race for him.”

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