There were two new season stakes races for three year-olds at Newarket overnight and there were upset winners of both.
The Group III Nell Gwyn Stakes (7f) was expected to be won by a daughter of Dubawi, but the one that saluted was not the punters pick.
Godophin sent out the favourite Dance Sequence, who was last seen winning the Group III Oh So Sharp Stakes over the same course last October, but the Charlie Appleby trained filly could not quite overhaul tenacious Pretty Crystal with Dubawi fillies landing the quinella.
Pretty Crystal’s trainer Richard Fahey will be rethinking her plans this year following this determined long neck win, her second from six starts.
“It was a good, hardy and tough performance. Pretty Crystal arrived here fit and well and we were pleased with her. She had to step up to win today and she has done,” said Richard Fahey.
“We were expecting a good performance today and although I thought she might struggle to beat the favourite I thought she had a good each-way chance. We didn't put her in the Guineas as we ran her in Pattern company last year and she was found wanting. We will speak to Sheikh Rashid (Dalmook Al Maktoum, owner) and his team to talk about supplementing her for the Guineas and work our way from there. I am a little bit shocked she won today so we will get her home and see.”
A homebred for Rabbah Bloodstock, Pretty Crystal is the 270th stakes-winner for Dubawi and is the first winner from Group III winning Orpen mare Pretty Baby.
The Listed Feilden Stakes (1m1f) drew a competitive field with lightly raced Zoffany colt Jayarbe scoring a dominant three and a quarter length win at his first appearance this year following a maiden win at this track last August and a subsequent seventh in a G1 race in France in October won by Rosallion.
“Jayarebe likes it here having won both his races, but we'll have to speak to the owner about where he goes next as he doesn't hold any entries,” said his trainer Brian Meehan.
“He saw it out well today and we could look at supplementing him for the French Derby as a mile and a quarter will suit him well. He ran well over seven furlongs in France (in the Jean-Luc Lagardere) at the end of last year and if the race had been a mile I think he would nearly have won.”
Purchased for 180,000 euros by Sam Sangster Bloodstock from the Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale, Jayarebe is the 61st stakes-winner for ill-fated Dansili stallion Zoffany, who died in 2021 at age 13.
Jayarebe is the best of three winners from stakes-winning Dalakhani mare Alakhana.
Dalakhani mares have had a busy start to the year producing four stakes-winning 3YO's since January 1. He shuttled to Cornerstone Stud in South Australia for three seasons and has a number of daughters at stud in Australia.
