Frankel half-brother to Mishriff among exciting contenders for Sandown maiden on Thursday

Reliant

Sandown, 2.40, Thursday, Martin Densham Memorial British EBF Maiden Stakes 

What's the story? 

Sandown's seven-furlong juvenile maiden has produced a number of horses of note, not least 2019 winner Kameko who went on to Vertem Futurity success later that year and then the 2,000 Guineas in 2020. 

The 2021 scorer in Zechariah was a narrow second to subsequent St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov in last year's Queen's Vase before securing Group success in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes last August, while last year's renewal saw the exciting Nostrum secure top honours, with fellow Juddmonte-owned Chester Vase scorer and Criterium de Saint-Cloud second Arrest back in third.

Nostrum: exciting son of Kingman landed this Sandown maiden last yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

This year's running is filled with newcomers with some top-notch pedigrees, including Prince Faisal's homebred Reliant. 

How is he bred?

The colt is out of the winning Raven's Pass mare Contradict, herself a daughter of Bahri's Group winner Acts Of Grace. Acts Of Grace is in turn a daughter of Prince Faisal's wonderful Prix de Diane winner and producer Rafha, the dam of Sprint Cup hero and top-class sire Invincible Spirit and the prolific Tally-Ho Stud sire Kodiac. 

Rafha's progeny also includes stakes winner and Prix Robert Papin second Massarra, a daughter of Danehill whose progeny includes Superlative Stakes winner and Classic-placed Gustav Klimt as well as St James's Palace Stakes third Mars and Group 1 Gran Criterium winner Nayarra. The first two are by Galileo, while Nayarra, the dam of two black type horses, is by Cape Cross. Another daughter of Massarra in Cuff, a Listed winner by Galileo, is the dam of this year's Irish 2,000 Guineas second Cairo. 

Mishriff: three-time Group 1 winner and near £12 million earner at Haras de Montfort et PreauxCredit: Martin Stevens

Reliant is therefore a half-brother to Prince Faisal's champion Mishriff, whose haul included the Prix du Jockey Club and Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at three and the Saudi Cup, Sheema Classic, and Juddmonte International at four. Last year he was a narrow second to Vadeni in the Eclipse and second to the mighty Baaeed in the Juddmonte International. 

The son of Prince Faisal's Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix de la Foret winner Make Believe, a resident at Ballylinch Stud, retired to Montfort et Preaux this year for an opening fee of €20,000 but had his season placed on hold due to injury. 

Who does he face?

Among the John and Thady Gosden's 11 rivals includes Godolphin's once-raced Dubawi colt Arabian Crown, a €600,000 purchase from Monceaux at Arqana last year and a half-brother to multiple Group winner and Prix Vermeille third The Juliet Rose, by Monsun. Third at Sandown earlier this month, he is a brother to German stakes winner Everest Rose.

Another to note is Jeff Smith's homebred City Burglar, a son of Cracksman out of a winning Dubawi sister to Juddmonte International winner Cosmopolitan Queen, while Newsells Park Stud and Merry Fox Stud's Highland Spring is by Darley's champion sire and out of a Group-winning Lawman mare in Luminate.

Territories colt Kings Valley, a half-brother to Australian Listed winner Crystal Pegasus, is out of the placed Dansili mare Crystal Etoile, a half-sister to world champion Crystal Ocean and close relation to Canadian Grade 1 scorer Hillstar.

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