Nazeef

Nazeef (foaled 13 April 2016) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. Unraced as juvenile she finished third on her racecourse debut in 2019 but then won three minor races before the end of the year. As a four-year-old in 2020 she emerged as a top-class performer, winning the Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes, Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and Falmouth Stakes.

Nazeef
Racing silks of Hamdan Al Maktoum
SireInvincible Spirit
GrandsireGreen Desert
DamHandassa
DamsireDubawi
SexFilly
Foaled13 April 2016[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay
BreederShadwell Estate
OwnerHamdan Al Maktoum
TrainerJohn Gosden
Record7: 6-0-1
Earnings£161,091
Major wins
Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes (2020)
Duke of Cambridge Stakes (2020)
Falmouth Stakes (2020)

Background

Nazeef is a bay filly with no white markings bred in England by her owner Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell Estate. She was sent into training with John Gosden at the Clarehaven Stable in Newmarket, Suffolk. She has been ridden in most of her races by Jim Crowley.

She was sired by the Haydock Sprint Cup winner Invincible Spirit, who has produced many other major winners including Kingman, Charm Spirit, Mayson, Fleeting Spirit, Moonlight Cloud, Magna Grecia and Lawman.[2] Nazeef's dam Handassa was bought by Shadwell as a yearling for 100,000 guineas[3] and became a successful racemare, winning two races including the Listed Garnet Stakes.[4] Handassa's dam Starstone was a half-sister to the leading sprinters Pastoral Pursuits and Goodricke.[5][3]

Racing career

2019: three-year-old season

Nazeef did not run as a two-year-old and made her racecourse debut in a minor race over seven furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse on 8 June 2019 in which she was ridden by Nicky Mackay and finished third behind Nonchalance and Flarepath, beaten five and a quarter lengths by the winner. Nineteen days later she started 4/6 favourite for a seven-runner maiden race over the same course and distance and recorded her first success as she took the lead approaching the final furlong and won by one and a quarter lengths from the four-year-old gelding Ghalyoon.[6] On 4 September the filly started at odds of 1/4 for a novice race (for horses with no more than two previous wins) over one mile on the synthetic Polytrack surface at Chelmsford City Racecourse and won "very easily" after accelerating away from her three opponents in the final furlong.[7] For her final run of the season, Nazeef was returned to the turf for a handicap race over one mile at Newmarket three weeks later in which she carried top weight of 134 pounds and started 6/4 favourite. Ridden by Dane O'Neill she took the lead inside the last quarter mile and won in "impressive" style by six lengths from Salayel.[8]

2020: four-year-old season

For her first run of 2020 Nazeef was stepped up in class to contest the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes over one mile on Polytrack at Kempton Park Racecourse. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic the British flat-racing season was restructured leading to the race being run behind closed doors on 3 June (rather than its usual date in April) and being open to three-year-olds. Nazeef started the 4/1 third choice in the betting behind her stablemate Scentasia (winner of the Fleur De Lys Fillies' Stakes and the Gillies Fillies' Stakes) and Billesdon Brook. After being restrained by Crowley for most of the way she made strong progress on the outside in the straight, overtook Billesdon Brook in the closing stages and won "cosily" by three quarters of a length.[9] John Gosden's son Thady said "it was a very pleasing performance... she has strengthened and matured nicely this year. Hopefully she will continue to improve" while Crowley commented "She has done nothing but improve with every run she has had in the last year and she keeps getting better and better".[10]

Thirteen days after her win at Kempton Nazeef was moved up to Group 2 class for the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot and started the 100/30 third choice behind the joint-favourites Queen Power (Fillies' Trial Stakes) and Jubiloso. The best fancied of the other seven runners was the Godolphin entry Magic Lily who had won the Balanchine and the Cape Verdi in Dubai. Nazeef raced in mid-division before staying on strongly in the last quarter mile and gained the advantage in the final strides to win by a head from the 28/1 outsider Agincourt.[11] John Gosden commented "Nazeef is very genuine and did nothing but improve last year. She deserves a little rest... We won't rush her back but you'd love to see her have a go at a Group 1".[12]

Nazeef contested her first Group 1 race on 10 July when she started at odds of 9/2 for the Falmouth Stakes over one mile at Newmarket. Her stablemate Terebellum (winner of the Prix de la Nonette and Dahlia Stakes and runner-up in the Queen Anne Stakes) started favourite while the other four contenders were Billesdon Brook, One Master, Agincourt and Under The Stars (Eternal Stakes). After racing in second place behind Terbellum Nazeef stayed on strongly in the final furlong and won in a blanket finish by a neck from Billesdon Brook with Terebellum the same distance away in third, half a length in front of One Master.[13] After the race Crowley said "She's as tough as nails and she's improved with every run. That's six races in a row she's won now - she's climbed her way up the ladder. She's a really gorgeous looking filly as well, with plenty of size and scope about her".[14]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Nazeef (GB), bay filly, 2016[1]
Sire
Invincible Spirit (IRE)
1997		 Green Desert (USA)
1983　		 Danzig Northern Dancer (CAN)
Pas de Nom
Foreign Courier Sir Ivor
Courtly Dee
Rafha (GB)
1987　		 Kris Sharpen Up
Doubly Sure
Eljazzi (IRE) Artaius (USA)
Border Bounty (GB)
Dam
Handassa (GB)
2008		 Dubawi (IRE)
2002		 Dubai Millennium (GB) Seeking The Gold (USA)
Colorado Dancer (IRE)
Zomaradah (GB) Deploy
Jawaher (IRE)
Starstone (GB)
2003　		 Diktat Warning
Arvola
Star Most Welcome
Marista (Family: 14-f)[5]
gollark: You were *actively* very bad.
gollark: LyricLy was vaguely terrible but at least in mostly inconsequential ways.
gollark: And a lot of discussion moved off into georgespace and such.
gollark: Some other people haven't left but still aren't here very much.
gollark: Anyway, COMPARTMENTAL SLATS is good only because it inevitably leads to gollarious esolangs ownership according to our projections.

References
  1. "Nazeef pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Invincible Spirit - Stud Record". Racing Post.
  3. Stevens, Martin (10 July 2020). "Falmouth Stakes heroine Nazeef the latest star for Invincible Spirit". Racing Post.
  4. "Handassa - Form". Racing Post.
  5. "Honoria - Family 14-f". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2013-12-22.
  6. "TRM Kurasyn 360X Maiden Stakes result". Racing Post. 27 June 2019.
  7. "Bet In Play At totesport.com Novice Stakes result". Racing Post. 4 September 2019.
  8. "Heath Court Dining Club Fillies' Handicap result". Racing Post. 21 September 2019.
  9. "Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes result". Racing Post. 3 June 2020.
  10. "Nazeef wins Snowdrop Stakes at Kempton". Sky Sports. 3 June 2020.
  11. "Duke of Cambridge Stakes result". Racing Post. 16 June 2020.
  12. "Nazeef just holds on to land the Duke of Cambridge Stakes for in-form Crowley". Racing Post. 16 June 2020.
  13. "Falmouth Stakes result". Racing Post. 10 July 2020.
  14. "Nazeef lands Group One Falmouth Stakes". Sky Sports. 10 July 2020.
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