Friday 26 February 2010
DALAKHANI’s daughter DEEM returned to the site of her biggest triumph to date to record the second Group 3 success of her career in the Balanchine Stakes on Thursday evening.
The grey mare opened her Pattern account last February when scoring in the Gr 3 Cape Verdi Stakes at Nad Al Sheba. Trained in Saudi Arabia by Jerry Barton, the consistent five-year-old has now won six of her ten outings and she clearly relished a return to turf although her performances on the dirt at her local track have left little to be desired. After three wins in Saudi Arabia in late 2008, she won on her reappearance at King Abdulaziz Racecourse last October before finishing second in January and then fourth on her last public appearance against the colts in the Gr 2 Crown Prince Cup over a mile and a half.
DEEM was given a patient ride by Olivier Peslier in the nine furlong Balanchine Stakes and she showed a fantastic turn of foot in the straight to deny the favourite Aspectoflove on the line. Her trainer commented, “She is a nice filly and one we have always held in some regard. Hopefully we can get her to [Dubai] World Cup night as we did last year when she ran a great race in defeat.” In 2009 DEEM finished was beaten just six lengths when finishing seventh to a host of top-class international performers in the Gr 1 Dubai Sheema Classic. She holds entries in four events on Meydan’s flagship card on 27th March: the Gr 1 Dubai World Cup, Sheema Classic, Dubai Duty Free and the Gr 2 Godolphin Mile.
DEEM is a member of Gilltown Stud stallion DALAKHANI’s first crop and is one of the sire’s ten individual Group-winning progeny which are headed by four-time Gr 1 scorer Conduit and Classic heroine Moonstone.
Updated on 26/02/2010
