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Shafafya Wins at Ripon

Thu 16 June 2016

Shafafya

Shafafya started her season with a second and a third in two competitive handicaps at Haydock over a mile. Her pedigree suggested a step up in trip would suit and with two runs under her belt in 2016 we felt she would settle well enough to be able to stay the extra two furlongs. She was soon settled at the rear of the field on the rail by Paul Mulrennan as the leaders went only a sensible early gallop. Despite not handling the track at times the daughter of Shamardal soon moved into contention once the pace quickened and after being switched off the rail to find a gap she stayed on right to the line to beat Belle Travers by two lengths.

This was a deserved win for our filly and whilst it was only a six runner race, the manner in which she won suggested she can progress further. The handicapper cannot be too harsh on her as Belle Travers is exposed and was having the thirteenth start of her career. It was pleasing that she settled well when held up and she could well get further than ten furlongs in time, she became unbalanced at times on the undulating track and a flatter track could well see further improvement too.

Congratulations to her owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, this was our third winner of the year for Shadwell and we hope there will be many more to come in the second half of the season. We have had a quiet two weeks here at La Grange with many of the older horses having won earlier in the season and therefore being vulnerable to horses emerging later in the year. It was very good to get another winner on the board and the thirty fifth for the year. Everyone at La Grange has continued to work very hard and we hope this will be rewarded with further winners in the near future.



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