RASSEEM. 08 February 2002. Fasliyev-Yorba Linda. Owner-Ian Ender.
Today I am guilty of being a shade indulgent, by writing about one of my horses, the first horse I had in training with Micky Hammond.
asseem was bought at the Newmarket horses in training sale in the Autumn of 2004. she had been in training at Newmarket with Saeed bin Suroor, and ran four times in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed, Her best run came on debut at Nottingham in July 2004, finishing second of the four runners, but earning a Racing Post Rating of 76. She appeared to take a backward step on her second run, but was a decent third at Redcar on her next start. Her last run in the Godolphin colours was back at Nottingham in September, when disappointingly dropping away under Frankie Dettori, who had also ridden her on her previous two starts.
Racing for the first time for her new yard, in December on the sand at Southwell, couldn't have gone any worse. She was badly hampered as the stalls opened, injuring Tony Culhane, who had to pull up due to being unable to ride. 20 later at Wolverhampton she could never get involved, and finished last of the 11 runners. A step up to seven furlongs at Wolverhampton at the end of January 2005 offered a little more hope,she finished fifth, beaten 12 lengths in a maiden, giving us hope that she might get competitive in a minor race.
Rasseem was only small, and had not physically developed as a three year old, so we decided to drop her into selling company. Paul Hanagan took the ride at Wolverhampton, and from stall eight she finished ninth of the 13, but only beaten four lengths After the race Paul Hanagan told me that if he had ridden her differently,he thought that he would win, and assured me he would go very close next time. There was no suitable race for three weeks, (and it was a very long three weeks).until back at Wolverhampton over the same course and distance, but this time with one big difference, the plum draw of the number one stall, she took up the running just inside the final furlong, and after what seemed an eternity, she passed the post with half a length to spare, at the once in a lifetime price of 16/1.
I was under no illusion, that due to sensible placing, and an awful lot of luck, I was a very proud winning owner. Just over two weeks later back at Wolverhampton, but stepping down a furlong, and from a bad draw of 10, she stayed on, but was beaten three lengths.The good news was that 'PMRacing' had, had their eye on her, as a potential broodmare, and claimed her after the race. She was sent to race out of the Simon Earle yard, but in three runs never managed to strike a blow, and was sent to the paddocks to be covered. Rasseem produced two offspring, the first a filly by Mind Games, and the second a colt by Three Valleys, but neither could get their heads in front.
When winning, Rasseem gave me one of my greatest moments in racing, and it was at least a week until I came back down to earth, and reality kicked back in again.
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