Sultanina (horse)

Sultanina had training problems, including "sore shins"[5] which kept her off the racecourse until she was four years old. She made her debut in a weight-for-age maiden race for fillies over ten furlongs at Salisbury Racecourse on 15 May, in which she started at odds of 9/2 against ten opponents. Ridden by William Buick, she showed her inexperience "raced green" in the early stages but produced a strong finish to win by a neck from the three-year-old Desert Snow.[6] After the race the Normandie Stud's owner Philippa Cooper reportedly told Gosden than Sultanina was the best filly she had ever bred.[7] Buick was again in the saddle when the filly was moved up sharply in class for the Group Three Pinnacle Stakes over one and a half miles at Haydock Park sixteen days later. She started at odds of 10/1 in an eleven-runner field with her opponents including Astonishing (winner of the Princess Royal Stakes), Cubanita (St Simon Stakes, John Porter Stakes) and Moment in Time (winner of the race in 2013). Sultanina started slowly as the outsider Special Meaning set the pace, but began to make progress in the straight and moved into second approaching the final furlong. The Gosden stable's other runner Freedom's Light had taken the lead but Sultanina stayed on strongly to catch her stablemate in the final stride and won by a short head, with Silk Sari in third.[8] Commenting on his decision to ride Sultanina ahead of Freedom's Light, Buick said "It was a very hard choice and there was nothing in it" and added "I knew it was close and I would have been disappointed if she got beat. She was still very green".[9] Philippa Cooper said "I can’t believe it. I didn’t think she’d won. When they called number 11 I nearly threw up!"[5]

Robert Havlin took over rom Buick when Sultanina was moved up to Group Two class for the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock on 5 July. Silk Sari, Astonishing and Moment in Time were again in opposition whilst the other runners included the British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes winner Seal of Approval (the 15/8 favourite), Talent and Pomology, the Gosden stable's unbeaten Prix de Minerve winner. After stracking the leaders, Sultanina stayed on well in the straight without looking likely to win and finished second, beaten two and a quarter lengths by Pomology. Despite her defeat, Sultanina was stepped up to Group One level for the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse on 2 August in which she was reunited with Buick and started the 11/2 fourth choice in a six-runner field. The French filly Narniyn (Prix de Flore, La Coupe) ahead of the Irish challenger Venus de Milo (Munster Oaks) and Mango Diva (Kilboy Estate Stakes) while the other two runners were Eastern Belle (Ballymacoll Stud Stakes) and Lustrous (Michael Seely Memorial Stakes). Sultanina stumbled at the start but recovered to track the leaders before making a strong run in the straight. She moved into second place behind Narniyn approaching the final furlong, overtook the French filly 75 yards from the finish and drew away to win by one and a half lengths.[10] Gosden, who was winning his third consecutive Nassau Stakes, said "Her stamina kicked in today in the final furlong and she has beaten a tough nut of a filly who brought good solid form to the table".[7]

Sultanina ran twice in France after her win in the Nassau Stakes but failed to reproduce her earlier success. In a strongly-contested Prix Vermeille at Longchamp Racecourse on 14 September in which she was ridden by Ryan Moore she finished fifth in a close finish behind Baltic Baroness, Pomology, Dolniya and Treve.[11] In the Prix de l'Opéra over 2000 metres at the same track in October he faded badly in the closing stages and finished tenth of the eleven runners.