Now for the Guineas: Zain Claudette shows Classic potential with Lowther success

Ismail Mohammed has won the UAE 1,000 Guineas in his native Dubai and now has his sights on the Qipco-backed Newmarket original with Zain Claudette.

His filly earned a 20-1 quote for next May's Classic from Coral after following up her Princess Margaret Stakes victory at Ascot last month by inflicting a first defeat on Sandrine in the Group 2 Sky Bet Lowther Stakes.

The 6-1 chance kept on strongly under Ray Dawson to hold off the 6-5 favourite by a length on a track where Mohammed scored his richest British win with Educate in the John Smith's Cup in 2016.

Watch Zain Claudette win the Lowther

This success was no surprise to the trainer, who said: "On Sunday we worked her and she worked better than my six-year-old sprinter Good Effort – he did four furlongs in 47 seconds and she did it in 46. I'm very quiet, but I know her and I thought she would run well."

Joy for Ray Dawson and trainer Ismail Mohammed following their Lowther successCredit: Grossick Racing

Mohammed combines training 300 endurance horses in Dubai – where he took the local Guineas with Folk in 2007 – with handling a 46-strong Flat yard in Newmarket and fittingly has no doubts as to Zain Claudette's stamina for a mile.

He is eyeing the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes for her next target, but said: "She is not a sprinter. We will keep her at six furlongs this year and she will go for the Guineas next year. I asked the jockey and he said she can go further."

Sandrine had to give the winner 3lb due to her success in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket last month and the pair could meet again off level weights in the Cheveley Park.

"We knew it would be difficult under a penalty but she was only beaten a length," said trainer Andrew Balding's wife Anna Lisa.

"She slightly stumbled coming out of the stalls, but you can't take anything away from the winner who has done it well.

"We'll stick to plan A and head to the Cheveley Park next. The only reason we came here with the penalty was because we felt it was just too long between races, we had to do something."

2022 Qipco 1,000 Guineas
Ladbrokes: 10 Inspiral, 14 Sandrine, 20 Albula, Tuesday, Zain Claudette, 25 bar

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