Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
By: Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
MAWJ (IRE) b. F, 2020 {22-b} is both an intriguing horse and horse for which I have concern. With a record of 8 Starts, 5 Wins, 1 Place, 1 Show late in her three-year-old season, she embodies the modern trend of having few starts.
Mawj’s last race was the 1,000 Guineas in England, one of their classic races. Though it is a classic race, it is not a super-rich race, with a purse of $631,800 when converted to United States Dollars. The purse of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Keeneland will be $600,00.
Mawj is the 2-1 favorite, but you have to ask yourself, why has it been so long between races—the 1,000 Guineas was run on May 7, 2023, which will be 161 days between races, or roughly 5.3 months.
I love to look at Mawj’s pedigree, because her sire is the excellent sire EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) b. H, 2000 {23-b}, putting Citation within five generations of Mawj’s pedigree.
In case you didn’t know, the 1,000 Guineas (and the male counterpart, the 2000 Guineas) is run on a straight course at New Market! That’s right, just straight and no turns. It is a flat 1 mile. This year’s 2,000 Guineas was a hell of a race, with a duel stretch battle of Mawj with a fill named TAHIYRA (IRE) b. F, 2020 {5-b}, a filly that won the Irish 1,000 Guineas, the Matron Stakes, and the Coronation Stakes, all three Group 1 races.
On an odd pedigree note, Mawj’s fourth dam, KONAFA (CAN) b. M, 1973 {22-b}, by Damascus, one of the last great’s of the Teddy sire line, was Canadian born and was 2,000 in the 2,000 Guineas, a race which Mawj won.
Konofa’s dam, ROYAL STATUTE (CAN) b. M, 1969 {22-b}, would go on to have many descendants that won European Classics. From Royal Statutes daughter AWAASIF (CAN) b. M, 1979 {22-b}(Yorkshire Oaks (Eng-I), Gran Premio del Jockey Club (Ity-I)) you have Epsom Oaks winner SNOW BRIDE (USA) ch. M, 1986 {22-b} who herself produced the enigmatic 4 wins in 4 starts horse LAMMTARRA (USA) ch. H, 1992 {22-b}, who in those four starts won the Epsom Derby, the Arc, the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and the Washington Singer Stakes. POUR MOI (IRE) b. H, 2008 {22-b} won the Epsom Derby in one of his only five starts and descends from Royal Statute’s VICTORESS (USA) b. M, 1984 {22-b}.
But through Royal Statute’s daughter KORVEYA (USA) ch. M, 1982 {22-b}, herself a French Group 3 winner, descend BOSRA SHAM (USA) ch. M, 1993 {22-b} who won the 1,000 Guineas and was going to go on to be the Champion 2 year old filly in Europe, Champion 3 year old filly in Europe, and Champion older mare in Europe. Korveya was to have a son SHANGHAI (USA) b. H, 1989 {22-b} who won the French version of the 2,000 Guineas, the Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Fr-G1) and went on to sire many stakes winners in Japan. Korveya’s son HECTOR PROTECTOR (USA) ch. H, 1988 {22-b} also won the the Poule d’Essai des Poulains and considerably more stakes races than Shanghai. Hector Proctor won six Group 1 races in France, and two Group 3 races. Hector Proctor seemed to either win or not finish in the money, starting 12 times, winning 9 races and his 3 other losses were out of the money. Hector Proctor also sired a number of stakes winners. I would think some of Korveya’s children raced in America, but at any rate, all of Korveya’s stakes winners listed at PedigreeQuery.com were born in the United States, all had sires born in the United States, and all won major stakes races in Europe. One of Korveya’s descendants included CIRO (USA) ch. H, 1997 {22-b}, a horse that won the Group 1 Grand Criterium in France at 2, and at 3 won the Prix Lupin (Fr-G1), was third in the Irish Derby (the year Sinndar won both the Epsom and Irish Derby and the Arc), and won the Grade 1 2000 Secretariat stakes at Arlington Park in America.
If you have not seen it already, I highly recommend you watch the exciting 1,000 Guineas. Mawj, owned by Godolphin and running in their glorious blue, was the 9-1 favorite. Can she do it again in Keeneland Queen Elizabeth?
