Nad Al Sheba Trophy success for Beautiful Romance

Beautiful Romance put up a game performance to gain a decisive victory in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 14 furlongs at Meydan, UAE, on Thursday, February 23.

She was the third winner for Godolphin during the evening.

The five-year-old New Approach mare was settled in fifth place as Los Barbados made the running at a steady pace.

Oisin Murphy took Beautiful Romance to the wide outside and swept to the front three furlongs out.

They saw off the challenge of dual G1 winner Vazirabad in the final furlong to score by a length and a half in 2m 58.44s.

Beautiful Romance was making her first start of 2017, having been seen out previously when successful in the G2 Zipping Classic over 12 furlongs at Sandown, Australia, in November, 2016.

She also won the G2 Middleton Stakes over an extended 10 furlongs at York, UK, in May, 2016.

Her trainer Saeed bin Suroor commented: “After Beautiful Romance won the Group Two in Australia, we decided to aim her for this race.

“She had a good break after Australia and is coming along nicely. She is a tough filly.

“In Australia, she showed she has a good turn of foot. She was too far back in the Melbourne Cup but for one furlong she finished really, really strong.

“The jockey made the difference tonight. He is a very good jockey. She beat two good horses and that gives us confidence to run in the Dubai Gold Cup on World Cup night.

“When she was England, we thought she was a two-mile filly, which is why took her to Melbourne. She stumbled out of the stalls but finished strongly and that gave us confidence to run her again in the Group Two.

“She is a two-time Group Two winner and tonight she won another big race. That is really good for her.

“The Ascot Gold Cup is another story [regarding stamina]. I think a mile and a half to two miles is no problem. We will keep options open for her in Europe.”

Oisin Murphy added: “You can put Beautiful Romance anywhere in a race as she relaxes so she will settle and do what you want.

“We went steady. I was keen to be positive on her and went for home a long way out because I knew she would just keep galloping and find plenty if I asked her again.

“I think her trainer and the team have done a great job preparing her for the day because Vazirabad has a very good turn of foot and I felt she beat him fair and square.

“When they are as easy to ride as that, Saeed always says to keep it simple so why complicate it?”