Homebred Aljazzi swoops in G3 Atalanta Stakes

Aljazzi strides clear

A long term plan came to fruition in wonderful style at Sandown on Saturday when our homebred Aljazzi ran out the impressive winner of the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes.

The race had been earmarked by Marco Botti for the daughter of Shamardal following her good second to Qemah in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot back in June; Aljazzi runs best fresh and had previously rewarded that approach by winning the Listed Dick Hern Fillies’ Stakes and Listed Snowdrop Stakes off the back of breaks.

Settled in rear by Andrea Atzeni, Aljazzi swooped down the outer to claim Nathra and win going away by three lengths.

“Aljazzi has progressed and Ascot was a great performance,” Marco Botti told the Racing Post. “She wants time between her races so we freshened her up for this. She was a bit awkward coming out of the stalls, so we were further back than we ideally wanted, but she picked up well. The plan after this has always been to go for the Sun Chariot Stakes.”

Aljazzi represents two generations of Blue Diamond breeding as the first foal out of Nouriya, another stud homebred who carried our colours to victory in the Listed John Musker Stakes and Listed EBF Lyric Stakes.

In turn, Nouriya, by Danehill Dancer, is a half-sister to the Listed-placed Lady Nouf, also a member of the Blue Diamond band, and Balmoral Handicap winner Yuften, who also finished second past the post in the Prix Jean Prat.

Nouriya has a two-year-old colt by Henrythenavigator in training with Roger Charlton and a yearling filly by Australia. She foaled a filly foal by Frankel on 5 April and visited Golden Horn this season.