Mohaafeth was purchased for $449,056 at Tattersalls October Yearling Sale 2019 and is a son of the famous Frankel, out of Listed-winning Sea The Stars mare French Dressing, herself out of the diminutive and determined multiple stakes-winning Halling mare Foodbroker Fancy. His lone sibling to race, 4-year-old New Approach filly French Polish, broke her maiden at Kempton last fall at fourth asking for owner-breeder Normandie Stud and trainer Roger Charlton. He also has a 2-year-old half-brother by Dark Angel named French Toast and a yearling half-sister by Kingman named French Mistress.
“He was obviously by the great Frankel, from a strong running female family and interestingly inbred 3×3 to Urban Sea, who won an Arc de Triomphe, herself, before proving herself one of the great broodmares of recent years, being the dam of both Galileo and Sea The Stars, two of the greatest horses of the 21st Century,” Gold continued. “On top of that, he was a handy size for a Frankel, neither too big nor too small, and he had a very good, active walk to him. He appeared to be a very sensible horse every time I saw him. Interestingly, Sheikh Hamdan was worried that his pedigree might be too slow the first time he went to see him, but luckily he asked to see him again the next day and both William Haggas and John Gosden told him they liked the horse very much, and Sheikh Hamdan decided to buy him at that stage.”
The flashy chestnut began his career with a little less shine than expected, finishing seventh behind Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum’s blue-blooded Latest Generation (Frankel-Rizeena) over one mile at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting. Showing a little more interest in his second try, three weeks later at Salisbury, he was third by 1 1/2 lengths over the same distance as the favourite. A solid winter off to mentally mature and physically develop, and the good-looking colt whose name roughly translates to “governor” has ruled his way into contention in the world’s most prestigious 3-year-old race.
