Lahan (horse)

Lahan (1997 – 2014) was a British thoroughbred racehorse. In a brief career which lasted from October 1999 until May 2000 she ran four times and won three races. On the second of her two races in 1999 she won the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket. In the following spring she won the Classic 1000 Guineas at the same course.

Background

Lahan was a bay mare bred by her owner Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell Estates stud. She was one of many good fillies sired by Unfuwain: others included Petrushka (Irish Oaks), Lailani (Irish Oaks), Zahrat Dubai (Nassau Stakes), Bolas (Irish Oaks), Eswarah (Epsom Oaks) Lahan's dam, Amanah, was a daughter of the Hollywood Starlet Stakes winner Cheval Volant, and a product of the same branch of Thoroughbred Family 8-f which produced Nijinsky and The Minstrel. The filly was sent into training with John Gosden at Manton, Wiltshire.

Racing career

1999: two-year-old season

Lahan made her first racecourse appearance in a seven furlong maiden race at Redcar on 2 October. Ridden by Dale Gibson, she started at odds of 10/1 in a field of fifteen fillies and won by half a length. Two weeks later she was moved up in class to contest the Group Two Rockfel Stakes over the same distance at Newmarket. Lahan was made 7/2 joint favourite and won by a neck from Clog Dance. In this race she was ridden for the first time by Richard Hills.