Ameerat (foaled 4 April 1998) is a British

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse and

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than f ...

. In a racing career which lasted from August 2000 to October 2001 she ran seven times and won two races. After winning once from three starts as a two-year-old, she won the

Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a '' ...

1000 Guineas at

Newmarket Racecourse Newmarket Racecourse is a British Thoroughbred horse racing venue in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, Suffolk, comprising two individual racecourses: the Rowley Mile and the July Course. Newmarket is often referred to as the headquarters of ...

on her first appearance of the 2001 season. Her subsequent career was disappointing, as she finished unplaced in her three remaining races. At the end of her three-year-old season she was retired from racing to become a broodmare. Ameerat was not regarded as one of the better classic winners.

Background

Ameerat, a bay horse with a white

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and three white

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, was bred in England by her owner Ahmed Al Maktoum. Ameerat was sired by

Mark of Esteem Mark of Esteem (26 March 1993 – 21 May 2014) was an Irish bred thoroughbred racehorse. In his two years of racing, he won four races and placed once from seven runs, with earnings of £365,139. Background Mark of Esteem was a bay horse with ...

an "outstanding" miler who won the

2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year ...

and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 1996. He went on to become a successful stallion, siring The Derby winner

Sir Percy Sir Percy (foaled 2003) is a British Thoroughbred race horse and sire. In a career which lasted from July 2005 to June 2007 he ran ten times and won five races. he was among the leading British two-year-olds of 2005, when his win included the De ...

and the European champion sprinter Reverence. Her dam, Walimu, won three minor races for Ahmed Al Maktoum and was a granddaughter of the racemare Roussalka who won the

Coronation Stakes The Coronation Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlong and 213 yards (1,603 metres), and it is sched ...

and two editions of the

Nassau Stakes The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong ...

in the mid-1970s. As a descendant of the broodmare Mumtaz Begum, she is a member of the same branch of Thoroughbred family 9-c which produced

Shergar Shergar (3 March 1978 – ) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. After a very successful season in 1981 he was retired to the Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. In 1983 he was stolen from the stud, and a ransom ...

, Risen Star and

Oh So Sharp Oh So Sharp (1982–2001) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the English Fillies' Triple Crown in 1985. In a racing career which lasted from August 1984 until September 1985, she won seven of h ...

. Ameerat was trained at

Newmarket, Suffolk Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located (14 miles) west of Bury St Edmunds and (14 miles) northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred ...

Michael Jarvis Michael Jarvis (14 August 1938 – 20 September 2011) was a Thoroughbred horse trainer in England. Based in Newmarket, Jarvis trained numerous Group One winners including three winners of the British Haydock Sprint Cup. Jarvis's horses also w ...

and was ridden in all but one of her races by Philip Robinson.

Racing career

Ameerat began her racing career in a seven

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use i ...

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...

at Goodwood in August 2000. According to ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' she had already acquired a "glowing reputation" on the basis of her performances in training. She started 3/1 favourite and won comfortably by two lengths from Sayedah, leading the

Racing Post ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of ...

to describe her as "promising". A month later, Ameerat was moved up in class for the

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May Hill Stakes at

Doncaster Racecourse Doncaster Racecourse (also known as the Town Moor course) is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy. History D ...

. Ridden by

Frankie Dettori Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and h ...

, Ameerat had a troubled race, struggling to obtain a clear run in the straight and then being hampered in the last strides as she finished second by a

length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Inte ...

to the favourite Karasta. In October, Ameerat started 4/1 second favourite for the Group Two Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket, but finished sixth of the sixteen runners behind Sayedah and Imagine. Ameerat did not contest any of the early trial races in the spring of 2001, but reportedly pleased Jarvis with her performances in training. On 6 May, Ameerat made her three-year-old debut in the 1000 Guineas over Newmarket's Rowley Mile course. She started at odds of 11/1 in a field of fifteen runners, with Karasta being made the 9/2 favourite. Robinson positioned the filly just behind the front-running Godolphin filly Muwakleh before moving up to challenge for the lead a furlong from the finish. In the closing stages, Ameerat overtook Muwakleh and won by a neck, with Toroca one and three quarter lengths further back in third. Ameerat's victory gave Jarvis his first British classic winner in a thirty-three year training career. He described the moment as "a great thrill", while Robinson described the winner as a "remarkable filly". Ameerat's form deteriorated after her classic win. Her next start came in the

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races a ...

where she made little impression, finishing fifth behind the French-trained filly Banks Hill. Matched against

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s and older horses in the

Sussex Stakes The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), an ...

at Goodwood in July, Ameerat started a 16/1 outsider and finished eighth of the ten runners behind Noverre. The filly was dropped in class for her final start in the Group Two Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket in October. Ameerat was never in serious contention and finished seventh behind Independence. Ameerat remained in training in 2002, and was entered in the

Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furl ...

, but did not race again.

Stud record

Ameerat became a broodmare for the Maktoum family's Darley Stud. She has produced several minor winners, but nothing of top class. DOB Foal Sire Breeder Runs Wins Earnings Wins Course Race Type 2004 25-Feb-04 Own Boss (USA) Seeking The Gold (USA) Darley 5 1 £4,616 27-Aug-07 Warwick Maiden 2005 Barren 2006 Barren 2007 21-Jan-07 b c Sowaylm (GB) Tobougg (IRE) Darley 18 1 £11,243 1-Nov-09 Lingfield Median Auction Maiden 2008 11-Mar-08 b c Kawssaj (GB) Dubawi (IRE) Darley 9 1 £4,476 8-Aug-11 Lingfield Maiden 2009 19-Mar-09 b f Oojooba (GB) Monsun (GER) Darley 11 1 £20,951 24-Sep-11 Haydock Maiden Fillies, LR placed in 2013 2010 20-Mar-10 b f Saadatt (GB) New Approach (IRE) Darley Unraced 2011 3-May-11 b c High Bridge (GB) Monsun (GER) Darley Won 2 National Hunt Flat Races and placed twice in similar races from 4 starts in England 2015; placed 2nd from 1 start on the flat in 2016; won 3 novice hurdles from 3 starts to date over hurdles 2016–17 2012 26-Apr-12 b f (Ire) New Approach (IRE)

Pedigree

*Ameerat is inbred 4x4 to Northern Dancer, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of her pedigree.

References

{{1000 Guineas winners 1998 racehorse births Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 9-c 1000 Guineas winners