'Could outstanding Baaeed excel over even further than ten furlongs? Why not'

Baaeed's saunter to success in the Lockinge Stakes confirmed the four-year-old as an outstanding miler, extending his perfect record to seven from seven.

Having conquered the best over the trip last season, and shown that his powers have, if anything, strengthened over the winter, the jewels in the mile crown are surely Baaeed's for the taking this summer.

However, could the son of Sea The Stars prove just as brilliant over further?

The prospect of Shadwell's star stepping up in trip by a least two furlongs is tantalising, and a previous Lockinge winner with whom Baaeed has drawn the inevitable comparisons did just that to great effect.

What is even more intriguing, to this mind at least, is the potential for Baaeed to excel over even further than ten furlongs and stretch his stamina all the way to a mile and a half.

Why not? His older brother Hukum has won at Group level up to a mile and six furlongs, and connections did initially think that Baaeed would be more in the mould of his elder full-sibling than the magnificent miler he has so far shown himself to be.

Aside from Hukum, his dam Aghareed has also produced a winner by Dansili and Kasbaan has been successful over eight and ten furlongs. Aghareed herself won the Listed Prix de Liancourt over an extended mile and a quarter.

Result, analysis and video of Baaeed's Lockinge romp

Stamina influences abound in Baaeed's female line; second dam Lahudood is by Singspiel, whose Group 1 triumphs included the Japan Cup, Coronation Cup and Canadian International, and Lahudood herself won at the highest level over 12 furlongs and was second in the Prix de Royallieu over a mile and six.

His family is that of Shadwell's outstanding trio of middle-distance half-brothers Nayef, Nashwan and Unfuwain.

While Baaeed's sire Sea The Stars is mainly associated, as is his half-brother Galileo, with outstanding middle-distance horses, it is sometimes overlooked that Sea The Stars was the first horse since Baaeed's relative Nashwan to complete the 2,000 Guineas-Derby double.

In Sea The Stars' extraordinary three-year-old season, which took him from the Rowley Mile to Longchamp and Group 1 wins from eight to 12 furlongs, there is a template for his son to follow if connections should choose.

Sea The Stars and Nashwan both went from the Guineas to Epsom for the Derby and on to Sandown for the Eclipse, demonstrating versatility as well as immense talent. It is easy to forget that the ability to stay does not preclude possession of speed, and one of the hallmarks of Sea The Stars' career was that ability to accelerate when Mick Kinane gave him an almost imperceptible signal.

If you have a few moments to spare, watch once again the footage of the 2009 Arc and the burst of acceleration that extricated Sea The Stars from danger and into the pantheon.

Would Baaeed excel given the opportunity later in the season and emulate his second dam Lahudood by winning a Breeders' Cup Grade 1 over 12 furlongs?

Baaeed looks cut from the same outstanding cloth as his sire and, with an irresistible blend of speed and stamina, not to mention an extraordinary talent, there are no limits to what he could achieve over further if given the chance.

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