Mashaallah (horse)
Encyclopedia
Mashaallah was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred race horse. He is notable for his performances in 1992 when he won three Group One
races in three different countries.
by William Stamps Farish III. He was sired by the Triple Crown winner Nijinsky
out of the Round Table
mare Homespun. He was thus a full brother of the Oak Leaf Stakes
winner Folk Art and the minor stakes winner Sportin' Life. He is inbred
4x4 to Nearco
, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of Mashaallah's pedigree (see below).
As a yearling Mashaallah was sold for $525,000 at the 1989 Keeneland
July Sale. He was trained throughout his career by John Gosden
at Newmarket, Suffolk.
His name derives from the Arabic
saying Masha'Allah
- "whatever God wills".
.
He appeared to be improving when he "easily" won a handicap at York in July, but was then off the course for almost ten months.
Guineas meeting, running second in the Listed
Aston Park Stakes at Newbury
, and then holding off Glity by a head in the Listed Prix de la Porte de Madrid at Longchamp.
Mashaallah was then move straight into Group One company to face an international field in the Gran Premio di Milano
. Ridden by Steve Cauthen
, Mashaallah took the lead two furlong
s from the finish and ran on strongly to beat the French-trained filly Saganeca by three-quarters of a length. Mashaallah was then placed in the Princess of Wales's Stakes
and the Prix Maurice de Nieuil
before disappointing when finishing last of the six runners in the Aral-Pokal at Gelsenkirchen
.
In September, however, Mashaallah produced the best form of his career. He returned to Germany for the Grosser Preis von Baden
in which he led from the start to win by one and a quarter lengths from the German Horse of the Year
Platini. He was then sent to Ireland for the Irish St. Leger at the Curragh
, where he faced a field of top-class stayers including Vintage Crop
(Melbourne Cup
), Drum Taps
(Ascot Gold Cup
x2), Snurge (St Leger
, Canadian International
) and Rock Hopper (Hardwicke Stakes
x2). He was sent into the lead by Cauthen half a mile from home and ran on well under pressure to beat Snurge by a neck.
In his final two races of the season Mashaallah finished unplaced in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
and the Canadian International Stakes
.
His best performance of the year came at Longchamp in October, where he led for most of the way in the Prix Royal Oak, but was caught in the last strides and beaten a short neck by Raintrap
.
turf races at Hollywood Park in 1994, which were his last recorded appearances.
where he stood as a sire at the Haras Carioca. He has sired a number of winners, but nothing of top class.
4x4 to Nearco
.
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
races in three different countries.
Background
Mashaallah was bred in KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
by William Stamps Farish III. He was sired by the Triple Crown winner Nijinsky
Nijinsky II
The racehorse Nijinsky was one of the greatest horses in Thoroughbred horse-racing history. He won the U.K. Triple Crown of racing. Retired to stud he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland and the Leading broodmare sire in North America.He was bred at E. P...
out of the Round Table
Round Table (horse)
Round Table was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse. He is considered the greatest turf horse in American racing history. He was foaled at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, on the night of April 6, 1954...
mare Homespun. He was thus a full brother of the Oak Leaf Stakes
Oak Leaf Stakes
The Oak Leaf Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at the end of September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is restricted to two-year-old fillies...
winner Folk Art and the minor stakes winner Sportin' Life. He is inbred
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
4x4 to Nearco
Nearco
Nearco was an Italian bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was not only unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs ,...
, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of Mashaallah's pedigree (see below).
As a yearling Mashaallah was sold for $525,000 at the 1989 Keeneland
Keeneland Sales
The Keeneland Sales is an American Thoroughbred auction house in Lexington, Kentucky founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack O. Keene...
July Sale. He was trained throughout his career by John Gosden
John Gosden
John Gosden is a racehorse trainer. Having trained over 2,000 winners since his return to England in 1989, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the King George, the 1,000 Guineas and the St. Leger, he is generally considered one of the most successful racehorse trainers of...
at Newmarket, Suffolk.
His name derives from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
saying Masha'Allah
Masha'Allah
' is an Arabic phrase that expresses appreciation, joy, praise or thankfulness for an event or person that was just mentioned. Towards this, it is used as an expression of respect, while at the same time serving as a reminder that all accomplishments are so achieved by the will of God...
- "whatever God wills".
1991: three-year-old season
Mashaallah was a late-maturing colt who did not appear on the racecourse until June of his three-year-old season, when he ran unplaced in a minor race at Sandown. Two weeks later he beat twenty runners to record his first win at DoncasterDoncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...
.
He appeared to be improving when he "easily" won a handicap at York in July, but was then off the course for almost ten months.
1992: four-year-old season
1992 saw Mashaallah improve from a modest handicapper- rated 96- to a three-time Group One winner capable of competing and winning at the highest level in middle and long distance races. In May he ran three times, winning a handicap at the NewmarketNewmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
Guineas meeting, running second in the Listed
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
Aston Park Stakes at Newbury
Newbury Racecourse
Newbury Racecourse is a racecourse in the civil parish of Greenham, adjoining the town of Newbury in Berkshire, England. It has courses for flat races and over jumps...
, and then holding off Glity by a head in the Listed Prix de la Porte de Madrid at Longchamp.
Mashaallah was then move straight into Group One company to face an international field in the Gran Premio di Milano
Gran Premio di Milano
The Gran Premio di Milano is a Group 1 flat horse race in Italy open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Milan over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
. Ridden by Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen is a retired American jockey.Cauthen, the son of a trainer and a farrier, grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat...
, Mashaallah took the lead two furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s from the finish and ran on strongly to beat the French-trained filly Saganeca by three-quarters of a length. Mashaallah was then placed in the Princess of Wales's Stakes
Princess of Wales's Stakes
The Princess of Wales's Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:The event is named in...
and the Prix Maurice de Nieuil
Prix Maurice de Nieuil
The Prix Maurice de Nieuil is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,800 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
before disappointing when finishing last of the six runners in the Aral-Pokal at Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
.
In September, however, Mashaallah produced the best form of his career. He returned to Germany for the Grosser Preis von Baden
Grosser Preis von Baden
The Grosser Preis von Baden is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Baden-Baden over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in early September.-History:The event was established in 1858, and it...
in which he led from the start to win by one and a quarter lengths from the German Horse of the Year
German Horse of the Year
German Horse of the Year is an award for racehorses instituted in 1957. It is the oldest public vote in the German sports . It was instituted by the journalist Addi Furler.-Records:Most wins:* 3 - Orofino...
Platini. He was then sent to Ireland for the Irish St. Leger at the Curragh
Curragh
The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 5,000 acres of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is well-known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the famous Japanese Gardens. Also...
, where he faced a field of top-class stayers including Vintage Crop
Vintage Crop
Vintage Crop was a popular Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in flat racing in Ireland, England, and Australia from 1992 to 1995. He won 16 races in Ireland and England, and one of his greatest achievements was winning over two miles and two furlongs in the 1992 Cesarewitch Handicap at...
(Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
), Drum Taps
Drum Taps (horse)
Drum Taps was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a noted stayer, showing his best form over distances in excess of two miles, but was also successful over shorter distances. He won England’s most important staying race, the Ascot Gold Cup in 1992 and 1993. In 1992 he was named European...
(Ascot Gold Cup
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
x2), Snurge (St Leger
St. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
, Canadian International
Canadian International Stakes
The Canadian International Stakes is a $2 million Grade I Canadian stakes race on Turf for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario....
) and Rock Hopper (Hardwicke Stakes
Hardwicke Stakes
The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
x2). He was sent into the lead by Cauthen half a mile from home and ran on well under pressure to beat Snurge by a neck.
In his final two races of the season Mashaallah finished unplaced in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
and the Canadian International Stakes
Canadian International Stakes
The Canadian International Stakes is a $2 million Grade I Canadian stakes race on Turf for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario....
.
1993: five-year-old season
Mashaallah ran six times in 1993, but was unable to recapture his best form, and recorded his only win when he was dropped in class to take a minor stakes race at YorkYork Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...
His best performance of the year came at Longchamp in October, where he led for most of the way in the Prix Royal Oak, but was caught in the last strides and beaten a short neck by Raintrap
Raintrap
Raintrap is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. His dam was Juddmonte Farms Suntrap, a daughter of the 1972 Epsom Derby winner, Roberto...
.
1994: six-year-old season
Mashhallah's finished unplaced in two Grade IGraded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
turf races at Hollywood Park in 1994, which were his last recorded appearances.
Stud career
After his retirement, Mashaallah was exported to ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
where he stood as a sire at the Haras Carioca. He has sired a number of winners, but nothing of top class.
Tabulated pedigree
Mashaallah was inbredInbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
4x4 to Nearco
Nearco
Nearco was an Italian bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was not only unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs ,...
.