Nahrain, Flower Bowl winner, retired to Darley

Sheikh Ahmed al Maktoum and Darley Stable’s 4-year-old Selkirk filly Nahrain, winner of the Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes this year, has been retired and will join Darley Stable’s broodmare band.

Trained in England by Roger Varian, Nahrain did not start at 2, and at 3 won her first four starts, capped by a nose victory over Announce in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp. In her next start, she finished a game second to Perfect Shirl in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs.

Nahrain was winless in her first three starts this year but broke through with another top-level win in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl at Belmont, defeating Zagora. In her final start, she finished 10th in the Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita.

Nahrain won 5 of 10 starts and earned $1,041,961. She is out of the group stakes-winning Generous mare Bahr and is a half-sister to stakes winner Baharah.

“She has been a huge asset to the start of my training career, winning five of her 10 starts including two Group 1’s,” Varian said. “She has been a pleasure to train, and I now hope she has a long and successful career as a broodmare.”