Sheikh's 9.7mill horse

[brockguy]

6th today on his debut at Newmarket.. from the racing post

$9.7m colt sixth on debut


by PA Sport Staff

GODOLPHIN were forced back to the drawing board with Jalil after the $9.7 millionpurchase could finish only sixth in the Grand Prix White St Moritz EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket.

Sent off a 4-6 chance in a field of 13, the Storm Cat colt ran close to the pace set by the eventual winner Sam Lord in the early stages but it became obvious when Frankie Dettori started to move his hands more than two furlongs out that all was not well.

The response was muted to the extent that Jalil was never going to win at any stage and it was a perplexed Saeed Bin Suroor who suggested hischarge may have another outing before the end of the season.

The trainer said: "It was disappointing, although Frankie says he has a beautiful action.

"Both Frankie and Kerrin McEvoy have been riding him in the mornings and he's improved with everygallop, but perhaps he still needed this and he will definitely improve.

"He seems more of a three-year-old and we have no complains about the ground. There is no plan, but we might give him another race this season."

Jalil is the fourth most expensive yearling sold at auction but his owner Sheikh Mohammed will be hoping he has not acquired another Snaafi Dancer, the horse who attracted what was then a record price at Keeneland only to never see the racecourse. John Gosden, trainer of 12-1 chance Sam Lord, blamed himself for running the colt over the wrong trip on his previous two outings.

"He has a proper middle-distance pedigree on the dam's side and I made a mistake dropping him back to six when he wanted further. Quite simply, heneeded the mile which he got today."

Dettori added of Jalil: "It was a lovely run. He is still a bit weak and a bit green.

"He is a lovely horse, who has got potential, and I like the way he stayed on up the hill."