The familiar yellow and blue colours of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum were seen to advantage in the first race at Ipswich on Wednesday, carried to victory aboard a talented staying filly by Pride of Dubai.
A homebred for the Sheikh, as was her sire Pride of Dubai, three year-old filly Heeya scored a dominant win over older rivals to win the 2180m maiden by nearly two lengths at just her third race start.
The Lee
Freedman trained filly was fourth at her first two runs over 1400m and 1600m and obviously relished the step out to a staying trip to score her first win.
Her liking for a longer distance is not a surprise when we look into her female pedigree as Heeya is the first foal from unraced Husson (Arg) mare La Nehaya, whose imported Sadler’s Wells dam Endless (GB) is a full sister to dual Group I winner Powerscourt and three-quarter sister-in-blood to world champion racehorse and champion sire Frankel.
That’s one of the best Juddmonte Farm female families, so Heeya lacks for nothing on pedigree and with Lee Freedman as her trainer she may well look to target Oaks races as her classic season unfolds.
La Nehaya was on-sold by the Sheikh in 2019 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for just $15,000 and produced a colt by Pride of Dubai for her new owner Deb Gifford.
She has since produced a filly by Impending and was covered last year by Yulong stud's exciting young Group I winner Alabama Express producing this lovely filly on Tuesday that has delighted Deb Gifford.
Heeya is another smart winner for Coolmore’s Pride of Dubai, who leads the Australian third season sire table with winners in excess of $1million since August 1 including stakes-winners Queen of Dubai and Bella Nipotina.
