Sajjhaa Targets Windsor Forest Stakes

Godolphin’s Sajjhaa delighted connections with a fine run at York last week when finishing a highly creditable runner-up to the outstanding mare Midday in the Group 2 Middleton Stakes and could next be seen at Royal Ascot in June where she has a number of entries at the five-day showcase fixture, writes Elliot Slater.

Trained until the start of this term by the now retired Michael Jarvis, the daughter of King’s Best ran above most expectations on the Knavesmire, leading until the furlong pole under Frankie Dettori before Midday came by to score by two-lengths. Such an effort on her seasonal reappearance suggests that the Saeed bin Suroor-trained filly has done very well indeed from three to four and could be worth following this term, even if you usually just keep an eye on the Epsom Derby betting.

Bin Suroor has been fulsome in his praise of Sajjhaa who he expected to come on plenty for her York run and whose effort against a high-class international performer clearly exceeded expectations. She has a number of Royal Ascot entries, including in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, but it seems most likely that she will be kept to competing against her own sex and tackle the Group 2 Windsor Forest Stakes having returned from the Knavesmire in fine form and is understood to be very much pleasing connections. Those tracking the Royal Ascot betting should bear this in mind.

Last term Sajjhaa won in listed company at Bath in August before being beaten just a nose by Aspectoflove in a competitive listed handicap at Ascot’s QEII fixture a month later. She then excelled when putting in a much improved display to reverse the form with Aspectoflove in beating that rival a length-and-a-half in the Group 3 Premio Sergio Cumani at San Siro in October.

Tags: Godolphin Racing, Middleton Stakes, Sajjhaa horse, Windsor Forest StakesShare