Deserved success for BDS-bred Ribal
22 February 2024
Ribal (pictured as a foal) made all to land a deserved success in maiden company at Chelmsford on Thursday and become the latest winner bred and raised by Blue Diamond Stud.
By Roaring Lion and out of Manasarova, Ribal was making his third start of the campaign for trainer Stuart Williams and owners Glenn Thompson and partner having previously run placed at Newcastle and Kempton. He jumped well under Luke Catton and from there was able to boss the race in front, leaving him with enough in reserve to repel the late challenger Cocktail Dress.
"That was very well deserved," Luke Catton told Racing TV. "He's thriving. I had 10 stone two without my claim, so he was giving a lot weight to them. But he jumped and travelled nicely and picked up well in the last part of the race."
Ribal is a half-brother to the high-class French filly Sicilian Defense, winner of the Listed Prix Amandine and Prix Maurice Zilber and Group 2-placed. Their dam Manasarova was Listed-placed during her career and is out of a half-sister to the Grade 1-placed Shakis.
Manasarova's three-year-old, a Zoustar filly named Yusra, is with Andre Fabre. She also has a two-year-old filly by Kitten's Joy and is due to Not This Time. Now part of our band at Stonereath Farm, the daughter of More Than Ready visits Blame this year.
