Close up look at Baaeed's pedigree following brilliant Juddmonte International win

Baaeed a monstrous talent

I usually endeavour to leave emotions at the door when writing about pedigrees, but for this horse that may prove an insurmountable task. I must disclose that although still in the early stages of what is hopefully a long career in our industry, Shadwell were instrumental in my early development. In fact I credit Sheikh Hamdan with my career in pedigrees because in reality without the opportunity he afforded me I would not be here. The result of unwavering graft, dedication and commitment by Sheikh Hamdan and his team, who better to lead the Shadwell team into their new future than Baaeed.

It's impossible not to spare a thought for Baaeed’s late owner whilst appreciating his monstrous talent. As we all know, there is no such thing as an overnight success in the art of breeding racehorses, and Baaeed is the result of years and years of careful planning and endless belief in what Shadwell were working towards and hoping to achieve. Patience is paramount, but resilience ranks higher. For every winner there are a multitude of beaten horses and for every Baaeed, well there are just horses because he is one of a kind. The Frankel vs Sea The Stars is a tiresome debate but in Baaeed, Sea The Stars has one up on his rival. He had a head start at stud, but he undisputedly edges one step ahead of Frankel as he has now sired a true Champion. To even mention Baaeed in the same breath as his sire and the scintillating 2012 unbeaten Juddmonte International winner Frankel is enough to prove it. How do you breed a horse like Baaeed? The million dollar question. The saying hindsight is wonderful can ruffle feathers. Is there anything wonderful about looking back and seeing what you should have done better? In this case, yes as we look back at the masterful breeding by Sheikh Hamdan and his team and attempt to understand exactly how they bred such a superstar.

Super sire

Baaeed is by Sea The Stars out of the stakes winning mare Aghareed. Aghareed is by Kingmambo, a top-class miler with a top-class pedigree. By breed shaper Mr. Prospector, he is out of the transcendent mare and producer Miesque, and whilst he may have disappointed as a sire of sires, Kingmambo is one of the greats when it comes to his daughters.

A triple Group 1 winning miler, as a damsire he is responsible for three Epsom Classic winners namely Camelot, Ruler Of The World and Midday (Oaks). Despite a natural drop in numbers with the passage of time, he still holds firm at 5% stakes winners to foals of racing age, far above the acceptable average of 3%. Add in Sea The Stars and those percentages are hard to believe – more than a quarter of Sea The Stars progeny out of Kingmambo mares are stakes winners at 26%.

From 31 foals, 8 have won black type races including Baaeed’s G1 Coronation Cup winning brother Hukum. Half of those eight are Group 1 winners. Young promising sires Zelzal and Cloth Of Stars make up the list of four. Shadwell have been supporting Sea The Stars since the beginning. Homebred dual Oaks winner Taghrooda was from his first crop and it’s fitting his best son and heir apparent is carrying the famous royal blue and white silks to victory ten out of ten times to date.

Dam good

Baaeed’s dam Aghareed is more than just a daughter of Kingmambo. Unraced at two, she was trained in France by John Hammond to win the Listed Prix de Liancourt (10f) from five starts at 3. Baaeed is her third foal to race, second by Sea The Stars and second to score at the highest level. Aghareed’s dam Lahudood won the same Listed race as her daughter, but it was a switched to Kiaran McLaughlin’s stable in America where she blossomed into a Champion.

The pinnacle of her racing career was the was at the 2007 Breeders’ Cup where she took the G1 Filly and Mare Turf. Earning the accolade of Eclipse Champion Grass Mare 2007 and being a daughter of Singspiel, another top broodmare sire who stood for Sheikh Hamdan’s brother at Dalham Hall Stud, expectations were high for her broodmare career. If you closed the book after Aghareed’s Listed win you might have been disappointed given her dam’s achievements, thankfully Shadwell kept the faith in Lahudood’s bloodlines, you will soon see why.

Much is discussed about Baaeed’s high cruising speed and turn of foot and perhaps it’s third dam Rahayeb who is responsible being a daughter of rapid Arazi (Blushing Groom) of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fame (on dirt). Winning four Group Ones by a combined sixteen lengths as a two year old, Arazi was a ‘blink and you miss him’ kind of horse.

Rahayeb had an undistinguished racing career but carried on the regal blood of her grandam and foundation mare for Sheikh Hamdan, the 1981 Champion Two Year Old. That mare was Height Of Fashion (Baaeed’s fifth dam), purchased privately from Her Majesty The Queen halfway through her three year old season. She was subsequently beaten on her next and final two starts and initially connections may have felt concerned at that stage. However, being a daughter of the Queen’s 1000 Guineas winner Highclere and a Champion in her own right, there was still plenty of time for her to vindicate her purchase. Spoiler alert, she most definitely did.

Key bloodlines

It is not easy to coherently describe a pedigree as deep as this without a visual, but with one that makes this much sense it’s worth a try. When Nashwan (Blushing Groom) crossed the line in front at Epsom in 1989, Sheikh Hamdan’s lifelong dream of breeding a Derby winner was fulfilled. Nashwan followed G2 winner Unfuwain (Northern Dancer) and preceded Juddmonte International winner Nayef (Gulch). Height Of Fashion’s daughter Sarayir (Mr. Prospector) was a Listed winner on the track but a visit to Giant’s Causeway produced 1000 Guineas winner Ghanaati.

Another daughter Listed placed Bashayer was also by Mr. Prospector and a full sister to Sarayir. Given the success Blushing Groom had with the family with Nashwan and Height Of Fashion’s precocity, it therefore made sense to send Bashayer to Blushing Groom’s speedy son Arazi – the resulting progeny? Baaeed’s third dam Rahayeb. Rahayeb went to Singspiel, a grandson of Unfuwain’s sire Northern Dancer. That mating produced aforementioned Champion Lahudood, grandam of Baaeed. Easy?

Passion and dedication

Breeding a horse like Baaeed is never going to come down to one thing, one moment or one singular decision. There have been a multitude of left and right hand turns that had they gone the other way, may have changed everything. Sheikh Hamdan was not fond of repeat matings, but when Aghareed produced Hukum he made an exception. Sending an unproven Listed winning mare to Sea The Stars required belief in the family he knew so well. Nobody could have predicted the decision to purchase Height Of Fashion in 1982 would still be felt so immensely forty years on.

What is certain is that none of it would have happened without the passion and dedication of Sheikh Hamdan and for that we should be most grateful. The baton has passed to his daughter Sheikha Hissa who seems every bit as passionate and committed. We have one more race to enjoy Baaeed and his peerless talent. After that, it’s a four year wait until we see whether his progeny inherit his unique blend of speed, stamina and remarkable temperament so let’s enjoy every second.

In March 2021 the racing world mourned Sheikh Hamdan’s passing and feared the worst for Shadwell’s future. The timely arrival of a very special horse who has earned all the superlatives ensures we can look forward to seeing the famous royal blue and white silks of Shadwell for many years to come. Thank you Sheikh Hamdan, thank you Sheikha Hissa, thank you Shadwell.

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