TDN RISING STARS

July 10, 2022 - COLOGNE, Race 1, Mdn, EUR €7,000, 6 1/2f, 78.7700, 2yo

Habana (Ger), F, 2, 2020 by Kingman (GB)

1st Dam: Hargeisa (GSW-Ity, MGSP-Fr, GSP-Ger), by Speightstown
2nd Dam: Hasay (GB), by Lomitas (GB)
3rd Dam: Saralea (Fr), by Sillery

Owner: Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof
Breeder: Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof (Ger)
Trainer: Andreas Wohler

Led out unsold at 140,000gns when attending last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 fixture, Gestut Fahrhof's hitherto untried homebred 2-year-old filly Habana (Ger) (Kingman {GB}-Hargeisa {GSW-Ity, MGSP-Fr & GSP-Ger}, by Speightstown) instead illuminated Cologne's Weidenpescher venue with a scintillating performance over 6 1/2 furlongs in Sunday's HSBS Catering Maiden Preis. Her year-older half-brother Huancayo (Ger) (Frankel {GB}) had provided a telling clue with a three-length debut triumph at Hannover just two days before. Habana was the lone filly in a field of five and was under a firm hold behind all four rivals through the early strides before tanking forward at halfway. Powering to the fore hard on the steel with 350 metres remaining, the well-backed 13-10 favourite settled the contest in an instant when quickening clear passing the furlong marker and accelerated again before gearing down to easily outclass Muhalif (Ger) (Lawman {Fr}) by an impressive 4 3/4 lengths.

"I actually wanted to wait a bit longer before committing and, if anything, we were in front a bit too soon, but she did that very well indeed," said winning jockey Eddy Pedroza. Habana holds an eyecatching entry in Baden-Baden's G3 Zukunftsrennen, over seven furlongs at the end of August, and connections will take time to ponder options according to Gestut Fahrhof's Simon Stokes, who added, "We already have a high opinion of her and we're now going to discuss plans on how to proceed in a considered manner."