Baaeed adds the Sussex Stakes to his glittering CV

Shadwell homebred Baaeed – currently rated the best racehorse anywhere in the world – confirmed his brilliance with a smooth success in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday.

The William Haggas-trained son of Sea The Stars is now unbeaten in all his nine starts and will bid to make it ten out of ten in the Juddmonte International at the York Ebor meeting next month.

Baaeed’s next race will represent a step up in trip to ten and a half furlongs, but on pedigree he looks well equipped for the challenge. His sire imparts plenty of stamina, and his full-brother Hukum is a seven-time stakes winner over middle distances, including in the Coronation Cup at the highest level.

His outstanding maternal family, carefully nurtured by the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum for many generations, also contains plenty of stars who have excelled over distances further than a mile.

Baaeed’s dam Aghareed, by Kingmambo, was a Listed winner over ten furlongs and she in turn was out of Lahudood, a daughter of Singspiel who took the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. The line traces back to Sheikh Hamdan’s wonderful foundation mare Height Of Fashion, who produced the mighty colts Nashwan, Nayef and Unfuwain.

Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum was at Goodwood to watch Baaeed light up the Sussex Downs, and she said: “He means the world to me and my family as he’s homebred and from the same family as Nashwan. It’s good to see one of our best horses come from a lineage that my dad worked so hard on over the years.

“He’s a pleasure to own and both he and his brother Hukum have calm exteriors, love their work in the mornings and are nice to be around. From a horse person’s perspective, it’s great to see them enjoy their job.

“We’re very excited to see him at York next. We were sure that he was ready for the step up in trip after Royal Ascot, so we can’t wait to see him there.”