Faisal continues to look exciting
31 May 2021
Homebred Faisal continued his upward trajectory in fine style on Monday with a pleasing win under top weight for John and Thady Gosden in the Fitzdares Says Farewell To Barney Curley Handicap at Windsor.
Assigned an official rating of 95 following two easy successes last year, and allotted top weight of 9-7 for the race as a result, Faisal turned in a performance on Monday that suggests he will more than hold his own in black-type company in due course.
Faisal missed the break badly but was soon travelling comfortably in the hands of Hollie Doyle behind the leader High Commissioner. The colt made smooth progress towards the leader approaching the final furlong and although the pack was closing in as he took it up, he always had enough in hand to win cosily.
“I wasn’t too bothered about the start,” said Hollie Doyle. “I just dropped my hands and let him take me into a position that he was happy with. We went a good gallop and I got a nice position in second. He just got a bit tired in the final furlong, which he was entitled to do, but he was always just doing enough.”
She added: “He was my first ever winner for Imad and he’s been a bit of a flagbearer since. It’s exciting.”
From the first crop of champion Golden Horn, Faisal is the first foal out of our homebred Bella Lulu. The daughter of Iffraaj, who carried our colours to victory at Doncaster as a three-year-old, is a half-sister to our multiple stakes-winning sprinter Justineo, and out of Loulwa, who won the Listed River Eden Stakes for us at Lingfield.
It has been a productive run for Bella Lulu, whose three-year-old Gentleman Joe (by our Derby winner Authorized) recently secured black-type when third in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes.
We are also delighted to have Bella Lulu’s two-year-old Stellar Queen on our roster. By Muhaarar, she is in training with Clive Cox.
