Baaeed prepares to head to the start at Ascot

The importance of Baaeed to the Shadwell team as he heads to Nunnery Stud

By David Ord

Horse Racing

Sun October 23, 2022 · 3y ago

In the week it was confirmed he is to be retired to his owner's Nunnery Stud, David Ord reflects on Baaeed's impact on owners Shadwell Estate Company.

As Angus Gold watched Baaeed head back to the racecourse for the final time at Ascot he could reflect on a remarkable 12 months for the Shadwell operation.

This time last year the long-serving racing manager was masterminding a huge cull of numbers for the late Hamdan Al Maktoum’s team following the death of their founder. The family, spearheaded by Sheika Hissa, wanted to continue the operation but the string needed to be manageable from a financial perspective.

It meant the many autumn sales catalogues, be it horses in training, yearlings or mares and foals, were full of lots leaving the Shadwell umbrella, bloodlines others could only have dreamed of having access to before.

They attracted big money and everyone watched on wondering just how low the numbers racing on for the team would go.

But on the track they had Baaeed, winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on this card 12 months ago. A star miler, with the pedigree of a mile-and-a-half horse, from the team’s beloved and famous Height Of Fashion line.

And at four he raised the bar even higher – champion at a mile and ten furlongs. The best since Frankel and the best his late owner ever bred despite the final day defeat on an autumn afternoon in Berkshire.

This autumn only a few Shadwell yearlings went at Book One and Gold was raising his hand as a bidder for the first time in two years.

The first signs of change came at the Keeneland Sales where the American arm bought four fillies for a combined total of over $2million. Then at Tattersalls Book One, Gold signed for a daughter of Siyouni for 880,000 guineas and a Kingman filly for over 1 million.

And at Book Two it continued, seven more fillies, a lot with precocious pedigrees, were added to the racing roster for 2023 and broodmare band beyond that.

There was even a colt, a son of Showcasing, from the family of Mohaather, whose name Gold had on the cap he was wearing as he raised his hand to beat off the competition.

The Sussex Stakes winner has his first foals on the ground this year, some of whom will go under the hammer at Tattersalls in December and was strongly supported by his owners and their star broodmares.

Fellow Shadwell stallion Tasleet’s first crop included a Coventry Stakes winner in Bradsell and Eqtidaar’s yearlings have been well received this autumn.

This week we had confirmation the Nunnery Stud ranks will be bolstered now by the arrival of Baaeed, potentially the most exciting addition of all.

Group One winners, sprinters, milers and ten-furlong stars - it’s an exciting blend. And one that has breathed new life into the organisation.

So as Baaeed exited the racing stage, chapter two of his story is about to begin. And it does for a Shadwell worldwide team suddenly full of momentum – in no small part down to his own memorable exploits on the track.

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