October 6, 2018 - Newmarket, Race 2, Alw, GBP £10,000, 8.0F
1st Dam: Tasaday
2st Dam: Tashelka
2st Dam: Tashiriya (Ire)
Owner: H.R.H. Princess Haya of Jordan
Breeder: Godolphin (GB)
Trainer: John Gosden
Blessed with an industrious nature, a willing attitude and a fair amount of class, Princess Haya of Jordan’s Turgenev (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was able to turn back some bluebloods and defy a six-pound penalty to earn TDN Rising Star status in Saturday’s British EBF Crown At Stowupland Novice S. over a mile at Newmarket. Runner-up to Godolphin’s G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere contender Royal Marine (Ire) (Raven’s Pass) on debut over seven furlongs at Doncaster Sept. 14, the first foal out of Godolphin’s triple group-winning stalwart Tasaday (Nayef) was off the mark with a minimum of effort on Newcastle’s Tapeta 10 days later. Out again just 12 days after that, the 10-11 favourite travelled with enthusiasm behind the leading trio and after tanking his way to the head of affairs with 2 1/2 furlongs remaining stretched away from Ballydoyle’s Il Paradiso (Galileo {Ire}), who had caught the eye last month at Gowran. At the line, Turgenev was heavily eased to record a 1 1/2-length success, with Il Paradiso in turn six lengths clear of the winner’s unraced stablemate Franz Kafka (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in third.
“He did it well and has improved a lot from his first two races,†trainer John Gosden said. “We took him to Newcastle because the straight mile there is very fair and it’s a good surface. It takes a little bit of getting and the races are usually truly-run. He’s given six pounds here and done it in good style—Aidan’s horse was second and wouldn’t have been here just for the air and the third horse is one we like as well. Turgenev is in the [Oct. 27 G1] Futurity [at Doncaster] and we’ll see how he is in the next ten days and decide, as these two-year-olds can change at this time of year.â€
Tasaday, who began her career with Andre Fabre, captured the G2 Prix de la Nonette and was second in the G1 Prix de l’Opera and third in the G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Yorkshire Oaks. She is a daughter of Tashelka (Fr) (Mujahid), who also took the Nonette when it was a group 3 and the G3 Prix Fille de l’Air. She is also the dam of the G3 Desmond S. scorer Tribal Beat (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}). She also has a colt foal by Sea the Stars (Ire).
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