Bella Nouf adds to family record at Goodwood

Bella Nouf is the latest winner out of Majestic Sakeena (above)

It was nice to see our homebred Bella Nouf get off the mark on Friday at Goodwood.

The daughter of Dansili is out of our wonderful mare Majestic Sakeena, who sadly died earlier this year, and thus a half-sister to Listed winner Nouriya, the stakes-placed Lady Nouf and Yuften, who finished second past the post in last year’s Group 1 Prix Jean Prat.

Majestic Sakeena, a daughter of King’s Best who was bought by Tony Nerses for 200,000gns in 2006, has a yearling filly by Galileo.

Trained by William Haggas, Bella Nouf lined up at Goodwood having run second on her seasonal debut at Nottingham. She challenged three furlongs out on this occasion and stayed on well under Pat Cosgrave to break her maiden at the third time of asking.

Her victory concluded a week at Royal Ascot which saw Orvar run a very pleasing race to take sixth in the Windsor Castle Stakes. Following that performance, he earned a good write-up from Richard Hughes in the Racing Post. He said: “Orvar ran a pleasing race in the Windsor Castle Stakes on ground he didn’t enjoy. He’s a lovely little horse and one to keep an eye on.”