Shaara holds on in Yarmouth thriller

Adam Morgan
September 14, 2022 3:57 pm

Filly is likely to stay in training next year.

John and Thady Gosden’s Shaara completed a hat-trick in a thrilling finish to the Listed EBF Stallions John Musker Fillies’ Stakes at Yarmouth.

Making just her fifth career appearance, the daughter of Shamardal showed plenty of heart when it mattered most to score in Pattern company for the first time.

Eventual runner-up Mise En Scene led the field in the early stages with Shaara, ridden by Jim Crowley, tracking the pace.

As push came to shove aboard Mise En Scene, it looked like the 9-4 favourite Ville De Grace was going to win the race for the second year running.

Some contest! Shaara fights off the very game Mise En Scene to win the Listed EBF Stallions John Musker Fillies’ Stakes at @GTYarmouthRaces! @JimCrowley1978 @ShadwellStud pic.twitter.com/zSqIOkmrp4
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 14, 2022

However, it was Shaara who was keeping on best in the final furlong and the three-year-old dug in gamely to repel the rallying runner-up at the post, with Ville De Grace also not far away in third.

“There were three nice fillies in the three-way photo finish, but she deserves it,” John Gosden told Sky Sports Racing.

“She hit the front and got a bit lonely and was looking around, but we’re delighted by the way she picked up and got the job done.”

On the 7-2 winner staying in training he added: “There’s a strong possibility, I was discussing it with Angus Gold (racing manager) and Sheika Hissa and I think it would make every sense as she hasn’t had a lot of racing.

“She’s only been beaten once when she ran over seven furlongs just to get a run into her really in the Fred Darling. She’s a really nice filly and I think she has scope and I think we should really be going with her next year and have a really nice four-year-old filly in training.”

Crowley echoed those sentiments and said: “Her pedigree says this is her trip, but she looked there like she could appreciate a bit further. Hopefully she stays in training and then we can have a little bit of fun.”

Nice debut – Lope De Vega colt Lord Of Biscay does it well first time out at @GTYarmouthRaces for @Atzenijockey and @varianstable! pic.twitter.com/qKKsx5c4d8
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) September 14, 2022

Lord Of Biscay (6-1) looked a smart prospect when opening his account in the hands of Andrea Atzeni in the EBF Future Stayers Maiden Stakes.

Roger Varian’s son of Lope De Vega is a half-brother to the stable’s Bayside Boy, who himself gave the Carlburg Stables team an across the card double when striking at Sandown.

Course specialist Priscilla’s Wish (9-4 favourite) brought up a four-timer when taking the opening At The Races App Market Movers Fillies’ Handicap, while Andrew Balding’s Good Birthday (10-1) was shortened to 20-1 from 50-1 for the Cambridgeshire with Paddy Power having landed the John Empsom Memorial Handicap in good style.