By Sean Cronin
Ralph Beckett enjoyed the perfect outcome in Wednesday's G3 HKJC World Pool Oak Tree Stakes when his two representatives, Saqqara Sands (Oasis Dream) and Tabiti (Kingman), could not be separated by technology in a photo finish to the seven-furlong contest at Goodwood.
“My daughter was laughing at me because I was going 'go on Rossa, go on Ryan, go on Rossa',” revealed Becket. “I have definitely not been involved in a finish when two of my horses dead-heated before. William Easterby just told me his father [Tim] did it at Pontefract about 10 years ago, so I am in good company. It is one to remember. They are two really tough fillies and we got our tactics right for once. I am thrilled for the Deers. I fancied Saqqara Sands because she was in really good shape and worked very well at the weekend. I thought she was overpriced. John Deer has been breeding good horses for a long time and this filly has been really tough throughout. Tabiti looked like she was going west a bit on us. I wasn't overjoyed with her run in the [G1] Fillies' Mile last year and she didn't really show up early on this year. The blinkers have made a difference to her. I am not sure what we will do with them now. Tabiti may go up to a mile, while I am not sure Saqqara Sands wants to. Tabiti could go travelling, she is well suited to that I would think.”
Tabiti, last seen finishing third in Royal Ascot's Sandringham Handicap, set the tempo with her Listed Eternal Stakes-winning stablemate sitting second from flagfall. The pair locked horns passing the quarter-mile pole and engaged in a pulsating ding-dong duel thereafter, hitting the line in unison as the closers failed to make an impact.
Pedigree Notes (Saqqara Sands)
Saqqara Sands is the first of two foals out of a full-sister to Listed Possibly Perfect Stakes victrix September Stars (Sea The Stars). Her dam Royal Star (Sea The Stars) is also kin to G3 Rose Of Lancaster Stakes winner Teodoro (Teofilo) and G1 Racing Post Trophy third Altruistic (Galileo). The April-foaled homebred bay's second dam Altesse Imperiale (Rock Of Gibraltar) is a half-sister to four black-type performers headed by GI Diana Stakes and GI Beverly D Stakes heroine Angara (Alzao). Saqqara Sands is a half-sister to the unraced 2-year-old filly Venexia (Bated Breath).
Pedigree Notes (Tabiti)
Tabiti is the sixth of seven foals and one of five scorers thrown by a daughter of GI Gamely Handicap third and GII Dahlia Handicap-winning matriarch Didina (Nashwan). Descendants of Didina also include Group 1-winning sire Cityscape (Selkirk), multiple Group 1-placed G2 Temple Stakes-winning sire Bated Breath (Dansili) and to the stakes-placed dam of G1 St Leger hero Logician (Frankel). The March-foaled homebred bay is kin to G2 Linlithgow Stakes victor Old Flame (Invincible Spirit), G2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes third Chaleur (Dansili), G3 Ballysax Stakes third Dalvey (Dansili) and the unraced 2-year-old filly Jojoba (New Bay).
DEAD-HEAT! 😮
Saqqara Sands and Tabiti share the Group Three Oak Tree Stakes prize for trainer @RalphBeckett 🤩@HKJC_Racing | @WorldPool pic.twitter.com/w24hV5oUNn
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 30, 2025
Wednesday, Goodwood, Britain
HKJC WORLD POOL OAK TREE STAKES-G3, £100,000, Goodwood, 7-30, 3yo/up, f, 7fT, 1:25.02, gd.
(DH) 1–SAQQARA SANDS (GB), 125, f, 3, by Oasis Dream (GB)
1st Dam: Royal Star (GB), by Sea The Stars (Ire)
2nd Dam: Altesse Imperiale (Ire), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire)
3rd Dam: Ange Bleu, by Alleged
1ST GROUP WIN. O-D J Deer; B-D J & Mrs Deer; T-Ralph Beckett; J-Rossa Ryan. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 6-3-3-0, $158,903. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
(DH) 1–TABITI (GB), 125, f, 3, by Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Lilyfire, by First Defence
2nd Dam: Didina (GB), by Nashwan
3rd Dam: Didicoy, by Danzig
O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd; T-Ralph Beckett; J-Ryan Moore. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-1, $169,933. *1/2 to Old Flame (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), GSW-Aus, $428,982; Chaleur (GB) (Dansili {GB}), GSP-Eng & SP-US, $152,017; and Dalvey (GB) (Dansili {GB}), GSP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
3–Bright Thunder (Ire), 132, f, 4, Night Of Thunder (Ire)–Purplest (GB), by Iffraaj (GB). (€56,000 Wlg '21 GOFNO1; 270,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Ennistown Stud; T-Karl Burke. £10,760.
Margins: DHT, HF, HD. Odds: 16.00 & 4.50, 3.50.
Also Ran: Jasna's Secret (Fr), Jabaara (Ire), Arabian Dusk (GB), Betty Clover (GB), Fair Angellica (GB), Havana Pusey (GB), Silver Ghost (Ire), Cloud Cover (Ire), Romantic Style (Ire), Formal (GB). Scratched: Chic Columbine (Fr).
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