Shamardal’s Lumiere Hangs Tough In the Cheveley Park

Turning heads when successful by six lengths in a July Course maiden over this trip July 9, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum’s Lumiere (GB) (Shamardal) had been soundly beaten by Besharah (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) when second in the G2 Lowther S. at York Aug. 20 but was able to turn the tables on a livelier surface in Saturday’s G1 Connolly’s Red Mills Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket. Clear by almost three lengths at halfway, the 10-3 shot was left wide open to the closers but when they came late on she found extra to hold off Illuminate (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) by a half length, with a head separating her and old rival Besharah in third. “She’s very exuberant and even cantering down she wants to do everything quick, but she’ll mature and I really like way she saw it out to the line,” jockey William Buick commented. “They were snapping at her heels and it was a fantastic performance. She’s a bit like riding a coiled spring. There’s not much you can do, you want to sit still and hope she comes back to you. She’s high-class–any horse that can do that the way she did has to be very good, especially when you are doing a bit too much in front.”

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
CONNOLLYS RED MILLS CHEVELEY PARK S.-G1, £193,750, NEW, 9-26, 2yo, f, 6fT, 1:11.98, gd.
1–#@&LUMIERE (GB), 126, f, 2, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Screen Star (Ire), by Tobougg (Ire)
2nd Dam: Actoris, by Diesis (GB)
3rd Dam: Avice Caro, by Caro (Ire)
O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; B-Darley (GB); T-Mark Johnston; J-William Buick. £109,876. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $247,412. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Illuminate (Ire), 126, f, 2, Zoffany (Ire)–Queen of Stars, by Green Desert. (£95,000 Ylg ‘14 DNPRM). O-Denford Stud; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £41,656.
3–Besharah (Ire), 126, f, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Dixieland Kiss, by Dixie Union. (30,000gns Wlg ‘13 TATFOA; 85,000gns Ylg ‘14 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum; B-Gerard Kerin (IRE); T-William Haggas. £20,848.
Margins: HF, HD, 3/4. Odds: 3.30, 3.00, 2.25.
Also Ran: Alice Springs (Ire), Bear Cheek (Ire), Sunflower (GB), Rebel Surge (Ire), Shadow Hunter (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Not seeing another rival when the inflicting a heavy defeat on the subsequent maiden winner Sharja Queen (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and the Listed Roses S. scorer Shadow Hunter (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) on her racecourse bow at the July meeting, Lumiere entered the Lowther with unquestionable natural ability but lacking experience of battle and that played against her as Besharah swept by on the rain-deadened ground. Sent straight into the lead under a daringly positive ride from William Buick, she relished being able to dominate as she had on her debut, Lumiere looked likely to be reeled in as Illuminate pounced inside the last furlong. She was joined on the run to the line, but never headed and gave that distinctive battling surge that typifies a Mark Johnston runner to repel that previously unbeaten rival. “I was pretty sure she was very good and was not as disappointed as you might think in the Lowther,” her trainer said. “She’d not seen another horse before in a race and she did stick on there. Coming here today, I hadn’t been as nervous before a race for a long time because I thought she’s the best I’ve had for a long time. She had gone in her coat and was probably the biggest, tallest and rangiest horse here. I was sure she would stay, even though we also know she is very fast and has a tremendous cruising speed, so I told William to ride her with confidence. I am very hopeful she will stay a mile next year and told connections last week I thought she would win the Guineas–I hope I’m right.” Illuminate’s trainer Richard Hannon said of the runner-up, “I thought the race was set up for us, but she just didn’t go by. She ran a super race and traveled very well, she just got tired when she hit the rising ground.”