Dansili's Talaayeb Registers City of York Triumph

   Talaayeb (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who earned 'TDN Rising Star' status when impressing on her Sept. 24 debut going seven panels at Newmarket in her sole juvenile outing, opened her sophomore campaign with a credible fourth upped to one mile in the May 7 G1 1000 Guineas back at Headquarters, but failed to stay the 10-furlong trip when a disappointing seventh of eight in Newbury's June 15 Listed Lord Weinstock Memorial in her only other start last time. The bay was buried in mid division through the initial strides of Friday's G3 Sky Bet City of York S., where 1000 Guineas third and 4-1 chalk Daban (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) was pulled up early. Inching ever closer once into the straight, the 9-1 chance was shaken up to launch her bid approaching the final quarter mile and came under a late drive to claim a career high in game fashion. At the line, she had a neck to spare over the fast-closing Toscanini (Ire) (Shamardal), with seasoned campaigner Suedois (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) a nose adrift in third. “She's a nice filly and Jim had the choice [of ride], but it may have been a weight issue,” explained jockey Chris Hayes. “I got the call from [Sheikh Hamdan's racing manager] Angus Gold the other morning to see if I was riding anywhere on Friday as this filly was up for grabs and I jumped at the chance.”

   Reflecting on Talaayeb's sophomore campaign, trainer Owen Burrows commented, “It was a great run in the [1000] Guineas, we then tried her over 10 furlongs, but she obviously didn't stay that. Everything went wrong in that race at Newbury, but then it was stop start with her. I wanted to run her at Goodwood and at Haydock, but the ground was too soft and it's nice to see her back. I'm chuffed to bits, but she's had a hard enough race by the look of it. She's in the Group 1 race in Ireland [Sept. 9 G1 Matron S.] so we'll have a chat and see. Chris Hayes hadn't ridden for me before and she only had 118 pounds to carry, but Jim [Crowley] couldn't do that. Richard [Hills] and Angus know Chris as he rides for Sheikh Hamdan in Ireland. He was mentioned when we talked about a jockey for Talaayeb so we spoke to his agent and got him.”

   Runner-up Toscanini has been utilised as a pacemaker for stablemate Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) in each of his last three runs, and trainer Richard Fahey was satisfied with a performance freed from those shackles, saying, “He's just shown that he's still a very good horse in his own right and it's taken a very good horse, getting plenty of weight, to beat him.” David O'Meara was not too downhearted after the near miss of Suedois in third and commented, “He's not done a lot wrong again, but had a poor draw [in gate 18] so had to use up plenty early on and he's been beaten by a 3-year-old filly giving away lots of weight. We've been tempted to run him over a mile for a while now and I think we will go for the [Leopardstown's Sept. 9 G2] Boomerang S. in Ireland.”

   Talaayeb is out of Listed Feilden S. victress and G1 Epsom Oaks third Rumoush (Rahy), and is kin to G2 Royal Lodge S. third Muntazah (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the hitherto unraced 2-year-old colt Wadilsafa (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a yearling filly by Dubawi (Ire) and filly foal by Dansili (GB). Her second dam is dual stakes scorer Sarayir (Mr. Prospector)–herself kin to Nashwan, Nayef, Unfuwain, et al–who also produced G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. victress Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway) and G1 Champion S. runner-up and G3 Cumberland Lodge-winning sire Mawatheeq (Danzig).

Friday, York, Britain

SKY BET CITY OF YORK S.-G3, £175,000, YOR, 8-25, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:24.08, gd.

1–TALAAYEB (GB), 118, f, 3, by Dansili (GB)

1st Dam: Rumoush (SW & G1SP-Eng, GSP-Fr, $147,212), by Rahy

2nd Dam: Sarayir, by Mr. Prospector

3rd Dam: Height of Fashion (Fr), by Bustino (GB)

*1st stakes win. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (GB); T-Owen Burrows; J-Chris Hayes. £99,243. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $168,540. *1/2 to Muntazah (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), GSP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

2–Toscanini (Ire), 126, g, 5, Shamardal–Tuzla (Fr), by Panoramic (GB). O-Godolphin; B-Darley (IRE); T-Richard Fahey. £37,625.

3–Suedois (Fr), 126, g, 6, Le Havre (Ire)–Cup Cake (Ire), by Singspiel (Ire). (€165,000 4yo '15 ARARC). O-George Turner & Clipper Logistics; B-Elisabeth Vidal (FR); T-David O'Meara. £18,830.

Margins: NK, NO, 1. Odds: 9.00, 20.00, 6.50.

Also Ran: Jallota (GB), So Beloved (GB), Jungle Cat (Ire), Gordon Lord Byron (Ire), Above the Rest (Ire), Don't Touch (GB), Love Dreams (Ire), Mubtasim (Ire), Mix and Mingle (Ire), Spangled (GB), Aeolus (GB), Escobar (Ire), Rusumaat (Ire), Perfect Pasture (GB). DNF: Daban (Ire). Scratched: Tupi (Ire), Viscount Barfield (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.