Saba Desert catches the eye with winning start at Sandown

Saba Desert made no mistake on debut to take the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes for Charlie Appleby at Sandown.

The Godolphin-owned and bred colt is by Dubawi and out of Finespun, a daughter of Luca Cumani’s Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Gossamer.

Godolphin and Appleby chose the same race as a career starting point for Native Trail in 2021, who went on to win two Group Ones by the end of his two-year-old year and was the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner the following term.

Those are big shoes to fill, but under William Buick the 4-7 favourite looked potentially nice in prevailing by three-quarters of a length to get his own juvenile campaign under way.

“It was important to get some cover on him and do everything as you’d want to first time out,” Buick said.

“He’s a very fast horse, with a good attitude and a good mind in everything he does. I was very pleased with what he did there.

“He’s got plenty of pace. When you ask him, he’s there for you. He’s a very talented colt.”

Rising Power also made a winning start in the British EBF Novice Stakes, to give Godolphin, Appleby and Buick a double.

The Wootton Bassett colt was sent off as the 1-2 favourite over a bare-minimum five-furlong trip.

He found an adversary in Rod Millman’s 2-1 chance Killavia, but after the two locked horns it was Rising Power who took a three-quarter-length verdict.

“He was very gutsy. It was a little bit harder work than I probably would have liked or expected, but he’s a horse that probably wants six furlongs now, or even seven,” Buick told Racing TV.

“He ran against some speedy types there and showed his quality, that’s always good to have, he battled on and kept responding the whole way.

“He’s not the biggest horse, but he’s got a big heart.”