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Mishriff scampers away with Newmarket Stakes

The John Gosden-trained Mishriff (3 c ex Contradict by Raven's Pass) proved far superior to his rivals in the Newmarket Stakes (Listed, 1m2f) and in the process handed Ballylinch Stud resident Make Believe (Makfi) with his fourth stakes winner. 

The three-year-old colt broke his maiden on his third and final start as a two-year-old and he was last seen running second in the inaugural edition Saudi Derby Cup (1600m) in February. 

Mishriff was tanking along at the front of affairs and he escaped the field with a furlong left to travel and eventually scored a decisive four length victory over the Charlie Appleby-trained Volkan Star (Sea The Stars), while the winner’s stablemate Waldkonig (Kingman), who is a half-brother to last year’s Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Waldgeist (Galileo), was another neck away in third. 

Gosden said the colt could now head for a tilt in the Hampton Court (Gr 3, 1m2f) at Royal Ascot. 

"He's had the benefit of running in Saudi Arabia at the end of February," said Gosden of the winner. "He's trained well since then and I couldn't be more pleased with the way he travelled.

"He's the sort of horse that a mile and a quarter is fine for and, if he's alright, the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot will be next."  

Of Waldkonig, Gosden said: "I was happy with Waldkonig. He got in a little bit of muddle running into the Dip and was a bit green. I thought he ran a solid race and got a bit tired late on. He's a mile-and-a-quarter-horse – I've always thought that."

Mishriff is out of winning Raven’s Pass (Elusive Quality) mare Contradict, making him a half-brother to Listed winner Orbaan (Invincible Spirit) and stakes-placed Momkin (Bated Breath). 

Contradict herself is out of Group 3 winner Acts Of Grace (Bahri), who is in turn out of Group 1 winner Rafha (Kris). 

Rafha is famed for producing Group 1 and top-class stallion Invincible Spirit (Green Desert), while she is also the dam of Group 3 winner Sadian (Shirley Heights) and Listed scorer Massarra (Danehill), who in turn produced Group 1 winner Nayarra (Cape Cross), Group 2 winner Gustav Klimt (Galileo), Group 3 scorer Wonderfully (Galileo) and Listed winning-pair Wonderfully (Galileo) and Blissful (Galileo). 

Make Believe’s other stakes winners are Rose Of Kildare, Ocean Fantasy and Tammani and he stood for a fee of €12,000 in 2020.