Zain Al Boldan disappoints for UAE owner in St Leger trial

The filly could only finish third to John Gosden's Masked Marvel and Richard Hannon's Census in the Bahrain Trophy.

NEWMARKET, England // Jaber Abdullah, the UAE businessman, may have been out of luck with Zain Al Boldan in yesterday's Bahrain Trophy but Bruce Raymond, his racing manager, delivered an upbeat verdict on his sprinter Lady Of The Desert.

Zain Al Boldan could only finish third to John Gosden's Masked Marvel and Richard Hannon's Census in the traditional St Leger trial.

Lady Of The Desert finished second in two Group 1 sprints last season and Raymond hopes the four-year-old filly can once again contest the Sprint Cup at Haydock in September and the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp a month later.

The daughter of Rahy, who is trained by Brian Meehan, has yet to run this season, and was withdrawn from both the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot, and then tomorrow's July Cup after she failed to recover from a splint problem.

"She wasn't lame, just a bit sore and when she went for a scan, this splint just showed up," said Raymond. "It's out now, though, and when she returns will just depend on how much time she misses.

"The Sprint Cup has been mentioned as a target and there's races like the Abbaye to consider later in the year."

For his part, Meehan has not had time to dwell on Lady Of The Desert's rehabilitation this week, and this afternoon he saddles Shumoos, the favourite for the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes, run over six furlongs.

Shumoos lines up against 10 rivals having missed out on winning at Royal Ascot by a short head when second to Best Terms in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes over five furlongs.

"She's a very good filly and might be better going up to six furlongs. That said, I'm confident and I think she'll take all the beating," said Meehan, who also runs Manassas, who won the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, in tomorrow's Bunbury Cup.