Baaeed off the mark as a stallion with Kempton winner

The brilliant Baaeed secured his first winner as a stallion as the well-bred Coaxed made a winning debut in the opening race at Kempton Park on Wednesday.

It is fast approaching four years since the William Haggas-trained Baaeed extended his unbeaten record to double figures in the Juddmonte International at York. He suffered a first defeat in the Champion Stakes at Ascot two months later, before being retired for a career at stud.

His first two-year-olds are hitting the track this season and while the first, Shiyam, was beaten, John and Thady Gosden’s Coaxed made no mistake in the Unibet/British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes.

Out of the Gosden-trained and Cheveley Park Stud-owned Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Persuasive, Robert Havlin’s mount bowled along in front and after taking a couple of lengths out of the field heading inside the final furlong, she had enough in hand to see off the late charge of fellow newcomer Miss Miniver by a neck.

“The boss (John Gosden) left it in my hands – if she jumped quick we could go forward and if she jumped slow we’d just have to slot in and ride a race,” Havlin told Racing TV.

“We just wanted to make it smooth for her and everything to be kind for her today. She’s a filly that wants to please you all the time at home, but she’s never come off the bridle until today, so it was a nice performance.

“She got to the front pretty easy and had it easy in front. She quickened up smartly, showed a nice turn of foot and got tired the last half a furlong.

“We know the family well and they’ve all been pretty nice fillies including the mother, so let’s hope she goes that way.”

Chris Richardson, managing director for Cheveley Park Stud, added: “We were thrilled, especially from that draw (11) – I think Rab gave her a great ride.

“She’s out of a proper mare, so I’m delighted for all concerned. Baaeed’s had a winner and we’ve had an impressive one too.

“Persuasive won here on debut and liked a bit of ease in the ground so John was keen to come here on an all-weather surface. We’re really chuffed.

“Obviously John and Thady will talk to Mrs Thompson (Cheveley Park owner) and we’ll probably hatch a very exciting plan, but I think it’s small steps at the moment.”