Sheikha Hissa a big winner at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting

Dubai: Sheikha Hissa Bint Hamdan Al Maktoum saw her racing silks carried to victory by jockey Jim Crowley aboard Haqeeqy in a competitive seven-furlong handicap on day two of Doncaster’s prestigious St Leger meeting on Thursday.

Sheikha Hissa is the daughter of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, the leading owner in this season British flat racing season and one of the most influential men in world racing.

A three-year-old son of Irish stallion Lope De Vega, Haqeeq won in impressive fashion by a length-and-a-half from Cold Front, to give Sheikha Hissa her third winner of the season.

Earlier, it may not have been in the racing silks that we have normally seen William Buick winning in, but the Godolphin jockey was nonetheless in fine form when landing the Group 2 Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes aboard the Irish-trained Pista.

As the irrepressible Frankie Dettori threatened to boot home a third winner on the second day at the St Leger Festival, Buick chose to bide his time aboard the well-bred daughter of American Pharoah, before delivering her inside the final furlong to grab a length-and-a-half victory over Jim Crowley and Vivionn.

The winner is raced by Joseph Patrick O’Brien, the former Epsom and Irish Derby winning jockey turned flat-racing trainer.

Both O’Brien and Buick were winning the mile-and-six-furlong contest, which is often refered to as the Fillies’ St Leger, for the first time.

The 2021 English 1,000 Guineas betting welcomed a new contender in the form of Indigo Girl, a smart winner of the Group 2 May Hill Stakes.

Trained by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori, who also landed the opener with Logician, Indigo Girl came from last to first to take the May Hill.

Irish boomaker Paddy Power introduced Indigo Girl as the 14-1 joint-favourite for the fillies’ Classic at Newmarket next season.

“I’ve always liked the May Hill and the track is in great nick. I thought, ‘Bring here her and see if she can get a bit of black type’,” Gosden told ITV Racing

“She settled well and has done it nicely. She relaxed beautifully and she came through smoothly. I admit when she hit the front she ran around, but that’s the trainer’s fault because when I work them at home I don’t like them bursting clear and breaking another one’s heart.”

On Friday, the feature race is the Group 2 Doncaster Cup, won last year by the indomitable Stradivarius. It is preceded by the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes.