Godolphin’s Masar triumphs in The 239th Derby
Masar defeated Dee Ex Bee (Farhh), owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, by a length and a half with Qatar Racing’s Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy) a further half a length away in third. Coolmore’s short-priced favourite Saxon Warrior (Deep Impact) was the big disappointment, finishing fourth some two and a half lengths behind Roaring Lion.
The win, the first for Godolphin in The Derby, completed a rare three generation male line sequence as Masar’s sire New Approach (Galileo) captured the coveted classic ten years ago in 2008 in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed’s wife, Princess Haya of Jordan, while New Approach’s father Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) was the winner in 2001 before embarking on his now epic stud career, which has so far yielded three winners of The Derby, others being Ruler Of The World in 2013 and Australia in 2014.
For trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick it was their first success in The Derby and for Masar’s sire it provided a much needed boost to his stud career, which began with a first crop flourish but has stalled somewhat in recent seasons.
New Approach stands at Sheikh Mohammed’s showplace Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, as does Farhh (Pivotal), sire of the runner-up in The Derby.
As a racehorse, New Approach was something very special for his Irish breeder/trainer Jim Bolger. He was Europe’s Champion Two-Year-Old of 2007 when a dual Group One winner and given a high Timeform annual rating of 127, a rating which improved to 132 at three years when the chestnut son of Galileo came from well back to win The Derby followed by victories in the Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) and the Newmarket Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) to complete a treble previously credited to the legendary Sir Ivor (Sir Gaylord).
New Approach has 37 stakes winners in total, other stars including Talent (The Oaks, Gr 1, 1m4f) and Darley NSW shuttler Dawn Approach, a four-time Group One winner. New Approach himself shuttled to Darley’s farm in Victoria for four seasons, 2009 to 2012, with moderate success, leaving seven stakes winners, most notable of which was May’s Dream whose most important victory was in the SAJC Schweppes Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m).
Masar showed promising form in Britain and France as a juvenile last season, winning the Solario Stakes (Gr 3, 7f) in which he defeated subsequent 2018 Irish 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Romanised (Holy Roman Emperor) before finishing third in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere – Grand Criterium (Gr 1, 1600m).
Leading up to The Derby he won the Craven Stakes (Gr 3, 1m) and finished third behind Saxon Warrior in the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m). His next assignment may be the Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) on 30 June, while connections are also pondering a drop in trip and supplementing for the Eclipse Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f) at Sandown on 7 July.
Khawlah (Cape Cross), Masar’s dam, won and was Group placed in Britain but her two defining wins were in Dubai in the UAE Oaks (Gr 3, 1900m) and then defeating colts in the UAE Derby (Gr 2, 1900m). A half-sister to French Group winner Vancouverite (Dansili), Khawlah has a link to another Maktoum family-owned winner of The Derby in Lammtarra (Nijinsky), sire of Masar’s third dam Melikah.
Winner in Britain of the Pretty Polly Stakes (Listed, 1m 2f) and placed in both the Irish Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) and The Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f), Melikah produced three stakes winners, Masterstroke (Monsun), Moonlight Magic (Cape Cross) and Hidden Gold (Shamardal) in her total of nine winners, another of which, Villarrica (Selkirk), is the second dam of Masar.
The real story of Masar’s pedigree concerns his fourth dam, the famous producer Urban Sea (Miswaki) whose eight winners are all black type winners headed by Derby winners and leading sires Galileo and Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) plus another dual Group One winner, Black Sam Bellamy (Sadler’s Wells).
Another daughter of Urban Sea is stakes-placed Cherry Hinton (Green Desert) who has earned her own special place in this exceptional family by foaling Bracelet (Montjeu), winner of the Irish Oaks and the Royal Ascot Ribblesdale Stakes (Gr 2,1m 4f), and stakes winner Wading (Montjeu).
Masar is linebred 3m x 4f to Urban Sea and this exciting stallion prospect also carries a 3m x 4f double of influential sire Ahonoora (Lorenzaccio) and three crosses of Northern Dancer (Nearctic) via his key sons Sadler’s Wells, Danzig and Nijinsky.