Awtaad

Awtaad (foaled 1 February 2013) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed promise as a juvenile, winning a maiden race on his second racecourse appearance in October 2015. In the following spring he showed great improvement, winning the Madrid Handicap and the Tetrarch Stakes before recording a decisive victory over a strong field in the Irish 2000 Guineas. He was subsequently beaten in two Group 1 races before returning to winning form with a victory in the Boomerang Stakes. Background Awtaad is a brown horse with no white markings bred in Ireland by Shadwell Estate, the breeding company of his owner Hamdan Al Maktoum. Awtaad was sired by Cape Cross a leading miler who won the Lockinge Stakes in 1998 and the Queen Anne Stakes in the following year. As a breeding stallion Cape Cross, who stands at the Kildangan Stud in County Kildare has had considerable success, being the sire of Ouija Board, Sea the Stars, Golden Horn and Able One. Awtaad was the first foal of his dam Asheerah who won one of her thirteen races and finished third in the Listed Salsabil Stakes in 2011. She was a female-line descendant of the outstanding American broodmare My Charmer. Awtaad was sent into training with the veteran Irish trainer Kevin Prendergast at Friarstown, County Kildare. He was ridden in all of his races by the Irish jockey Chris Hayes. Racing career