She has a nice pedigree too, being a half-sister to a classic winner, but one can guess that the main reason Annike signed for Murcia after the hammer fell at just 40,000 kronor at last year's SEF Yearling Sales in Sweden was her conformation. This two-year-old daughter of Zaahid is such an attractive individual. If looks are anyting to go by, well then she will be good runner. Murcia was sold on to Väsby Häst AB, and she could well prove to have been a really shrewd yearling purchase.

Her sire, Zaahid, was a smart miler for trainer Barry Hills in England, where he won four times and enjoyed his finest hour by landing the prestigious Victoria Cup at Ascot, where he got the better of 21 rivals. He was also runner-up in the famous Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster and third in the Spring Cup at Newbury. Zaahid, who comes from the family of classy US performers like Golden Reef and Virginia Carnival, is best known in Scandinavia as the sire of high class dirt sprinter Basie.

Murcia is out the maiden Cut Supreme, a mare who managed fifth in the Eivind Ecbo Legats Vandrepremie and has done much better as a broodmare. Cut Supreme is also the dam of the Swedish St. Leger winner Muteki (Devil's Drink), who found himself in the winners' circle on no fewer than five occasions. Furthermore, Murcia's dam has produced the Danish winner Cut Cool, a runner-up in two minor stakes. Going back to Murcia's second dam, Half Row (Saville Row), we find more to recommend this filly – not just as a racehorse but also for a future career at stud – though such days lie well ahead of course. Half Row was a stakes placed winner in Denmark and became a smashing broodmare. She was the dam of 16 winner. Amongst them were Cut Supreme's full-brother Cut Champion (won 9 races, including the Danish Derby and Danish 2,000 Guineas), the Danish Criterium winner Cut Siegern, Cut Legend (4 wins and 4th best juvenile in Scandinavia), multiple stakes winner Cut So Sharp, 10-race winner Habitus, not to forget Half And Half, who won 4 races and became the dam of champion Halfsong. What's not to like about Murcia? Hard to find the answer, it seems. GS 02 Mar 20