By Tom Frary
Tricky in the preliminaries but as professional as it gets in the race itself, Shadwell's key three-year-old Raaheeb (Sea The Stars) stamped his class on Friday's G3 Sandown Classic Trial.
Smartly away unlike Ballydoyle's 4-6 market-leader Action (Frankel), Baaeed's full-brother who earned TDN Rising Star status on his Ascot debut in September travelled strongly off the early pace under Rossa Ryan and when committed approaching two out had first run on his peers.
Staying on powerfully to the line, the 5-1 second favourite who like his other full-sibling Hukum hails from the Owen Burrows stable had 3 1/4 lengths to spare over Godolphin's Al Zanati (Dubawi) there, with another 1 1/4 lengths back to the Gosdens runner Wise Prince (Ghaiyyath) in third.
“His work at home had been good and physically he's all there, it's just that mentally he's working it all out,” Ryan said. “He's a very exciting horse and he's done everything right. I think a mile and a half shouldn't be a problem, it won't be on pedigree and it felt that way too in the race, it's just whether he clocks on mentally in time as the Derby is so early in the season. Nothing fazes him, he's just mentally behind a small bit but the ability is there.”
Burrows is not entirely convinced about the Derby. “I couldn't fault him in the race, we just need to iron out that thing going to the stalls but I'd like to think that won't be a problem,” he said. “He hit the line strong and I'm sure he'll sharpen up a bit for racing. I've no qualms about him getting a bit further, but where the Derby is concerned it's a tough one.”
“He's in the Dante, but that could come a bit quick,” he added. “We always had it in mind that he's bred to get better as he gets older and always thought the Derby might come a fraction too soon for him mentally. He is important and we have to make sure we get it right, because his full-brother [Hukum] got better at six and we don't want to do the wrong thing at this stage.”
“He pleasantly surprised me there, as I would have been happy to make the frame but I still wouldn't want to commit to the Derby too soon,” he concluded. “There is Royal Ascot and potentially the Irish Derby, so we'll see how he comes out of this and make a plan.”
The beautifully-bred Raaheeb remains unbeaten in the @bet365 Classic Trial! @Sandownpark @Rossaryan15 | @OwenBurrowsRace pic.twitter.com/KvY3yDjGa9
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 24, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Raaheeb is the ninth foal out of Shadwell's star mare Aghareed (Kingmambo), whose aforementioned Baaeed and Hukum took longer to mature and win their Group races. The former, whose brilliant career featured six Group 1 wins from a mile to a mile and a quarter, contrasted with Hukum who was a strong-staying mile-and-a-half performer as he proved in his soft-ground King George. Interestingly, her son of Nathaniel, Naqeeb, was a Group-placed stayer.
The Listed-winning Aghareed is a daughter of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf and Flower Bowl Invitational-winning champion Lahudood (Singspiel), who also produced the dual New Zealand Group winner Mahrajaan (Kitten's Joy) and is the second dam of the stable's talented filly Falakeyah (New Bay) who was so impressive in last year's Listed Pretty Polly Stakes. The winner's fifth dam is the operation's linchpin mare Height Of Fashion, linking him to the operation's bigwigs Nashwan, Unfuwain and Nayef.
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