Eshaada (foaled 5 May 2018) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning her only start as a juvenile in 2020 she showed high class form over middle and long distances in the following year, winning the Fillies' Trial Stakes and running second in the Ribblesdale Stakes before taking the Group 1 British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes.

Eshaada
SireMuhaarar
GrandsireOasis Dream
DamMuhawalah
DamsireNayef
SexFilly
Foaled5 May 2018[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay
BreederShadwell Estate
OwnerShadwell Estate
TrainerRoger Varian
Record5: 3-1-0
Earnings£327,322
Major wins
Fillies' Trial Stakes (2021)
British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (2021)

Background

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Eshaada is a bay filly with no white markings bred in England by Shadwell Estate, the breeding operation of her owner Hamdan Al Maktoum. She was sent into training with Roger Varian at Newmarket, Suffolk. In her first two seasons she was ridden by Jim Crowley.

She was from the second crop of foals sired by Muhaarar, an outstanding sprinter who won the Commonwealth Cup, July Cup, Prix Maurice de Gheest and British Champions Sprint Stakes.[2] Eshaada's dam Muhawalah showed modest racing ability, winning one minor race from six starts,[3] but was a full-sister to Tamayuz. Muhawalah's dam Al Ishq was a half-sister to Anabaa Blue and a granddaughter of the great British broodmare Allegretta, meaning that she was closely related to Urban Sea, King's Best, Galileo and Sea the Stars.[4]

Racing career

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2020: two-year-old season

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On her first and only appearance as a two-year-old Eshaada started at odds of 9/2 over eight and a half furlongs on soft ground at Nottingham Racecourse on 4 November. After tracking the leaders she made steady progress in the last quarter mile, overtook the front-running Quenelle d'Or in the closing stages and won by a neck.[5]

2021: three-year-old season

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Hamdan Al Maktoum died in March 2021 and Eshaada's ownership reverted to the Shadwell Estate.[6] The filly began her second campaign in the Listed Fillies' Trial Stakes over ten furlongs at Newbury Racecourse on 15 May and started an 18/1 outsider in a nine-runner field. She raced towards the rear of the field before staying on strongly in the last half mile, taking the lead inside the final furlong and winning by a neck from Gloria Mundi.[7] Eshaada was moved up in class again to contest the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes over 1+12 miles at Royal Ascot on 17 June. Starting at odds of 17/2 in a thirteen-runner field she came from well off the pace to make good progress in the straight and finished second to Loving Dream, beaten three quarters of a length by the winner.[8] At York Racecourse in August she stepped up to Group 1 class for the Yorkshire Oaks but was never in serious contention and finished last of the seven runners, more than thirtyy-six lengths by the winner Snowfall.[9]

On her final run of the season, Eshaada started a 16/1 outsider for the Group 1 British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes over 1+12 miles on good to soft ground at Ascot on 16 October. Snowfall started the 8/11 favourite while the other six runners were Albaflora (second in the Yorkshire Oaks), Invite (Stand Cup), Tribal Craft (Brontë Cup), La Joconde (third in the Prix Vermeille), Mystery Angel (Pretty Polly Stakes) and Lady Hayes. After tracking the leaders La Joconde and Mystery Angel Eshaada took the lead two furlongs out and held off a sustained challenge from Albaflora to win by a short head with a gap of 3+12 lengths back to Snowfall in third place.[10] After the race Roger Varian commented "Her only poor performance was at York and the Ribblesdale form worked out very well. She loves cut in the ground, she's got track form, and has always looked a class filly. After York we discussed what we'd do. There were options between York and this race but we said: 'Let's wait'. She likes cut in the ground, so it was a team decision made in the immediate aftermath of the York race and it's always nice when a plan comes together."[11]

Pedigree

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Pedigree of Eshaada (GB), bay filly, 2018[1]
Sire
Muhaarar (GB)
2012
Oasis Dream (GB)
2000
Green Desert (USA) Danzig
Foreign Courier
Hope (IRE) Dancing Brave (USA)
Bahamian
Tahrir (IRE)
2002
Linamix (FR) Mendez
Lunadix
Miss Sacha Last Tycoon
Heaven High (GB)
Dam
Muhawalah (IRE)
2021
Nayef (USA)
1998
Gulch Mr Prospector
Jameela
Height of Fashion (FR) Bustino (GB)
Highclere (GB)
Al Ishq (FR)
1997
Nureyev (USA) Northern Dancer (CAN)
Special
Allez Les Trois (USA) Riverman
Allegretta (GB) (Family: 9-h)[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Eshaada pedigree". Equineline.
  2. ^ "Muhaarar Race Record". Racing Post.
  3. ^ "Muhawalah – Race Record & Form". Racing Post.
  4. ^ a b "Adelaide – Family 9-h". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  5. ^ "Play 3-2-Win At MansionBet EBF Maiden Fillies' Stakes result". Racing Post. 4 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, passes away". Gulf Business. 24 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Fillies' Trial Stakes result". Racing Post. 15 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Ribblesdale Stakes result". Racing Post. 17 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Yorkshire Oaks result". Racing Post. 19 August 2021.
  10. ^ "British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes result". Racing Post. 16 October 2021.
  11. ^ Porteous, Lewis (16 October 2021). "Eshaada Takes Fillies & Mares, Snowfall Third". The Blood-Horse.