G1 victory for Rizeena

Rizeena (Iffraaj) was earmarked as a potential G1 winner back in June when she ran out the emphatic winner of the G2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot, and on 1 September she realised that potential in tremendous fashion when flying home to win the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Settled towards the rear of the field, Clive Brittain’s charge quickened impressively in the closing stages to win by almost a length. Dubawi’s daughter Kiyoshi and Tapestry were the subject of a stewards’ enquiry after the race, with Kiyoshi eventually having to settle for third place.

Rizeena has only finished out of the first three once in seven career starts, breaking her debut at Ascot back in May before successfully stepping up to Stakes level later the same month, winning the Listed National Stakes at Sandown by three lengths. Following her Royal Ascot victory, she finished a creditable second in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at HQ before adding further Black type to her record with a third in the G1 Darley Prix Morny.

Bred by Bobby Donworth and Honora Corridan’s Round Hill Stud, Rizeena is out of Serena’s Storm, herself a half-sister to Shamardal’s G2 winner Puissance de Lune. Serena’s Storm has been scanned in foal to fellow Darley stallion Sepoy this year.

Iffraaj has been enjoying a tremendous year in 2013, siring no fewer than 18 Black type performers, including last weekend’s juvenile Stakes winner Hot Streak; plus NZ Filly of the Year Fix, winner of three G2 contests last season and second in the G1 NZ Derby. He is of course also sire of another juvenile G1 winner in Wootton Bassett, who completed an unbeaten two-year-old season with victory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.