Reynaldothewizard Lands Al Shindagha Sprint, Tamarkuz Scoops Firebreak Stakes

Three Group 3 races highlighted a cracking card at Meydan’s Al Tayer Motors sponsored Dubai World Cup Carnival on Thursday and Godolphin’s Saeed Bin Suroor stable were the team to follow, taking the UAE 2000 Guineas withMaftooland landing two other races on the night.

The Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas has produced some serious performers over the years, perhaps headed by 2001 winner Street Cry, who went on to win the 2002 Dubai World Cup.

He was trained by Bin Suroor, as was Bachir, winner of the inaugural UAE 2000 Guineas in the year 2000 before going to Europe and winning the Guineas in both France and Ireland.

South African Mike De Kock had won the race five times, including with subsequent UAE Derby winners Musir (2010), Honour Devil (2008) and the UAE’s only Triple Crown winner, Asiatic Boy (2007).

He also saddled Soft Falling Rain to win this in 2013 before becoming the first (only) three-year-old to win the Godolphin Mile.

It was Godolphin’s night withMaftool, ridden by Paul Hanagan, denying the South African’sMubtaahijin a great battle up the straight.

Having blown the start on his previous outing behindMubtaahij, Bin Suroor reached for the visor on this occasion and he broke sharply.

“The start was always a worry,’ said Hanagan. “The visor has certainly helped him today and won well. It is just that stall issue you have to think about but hopefully he still improving and learning.

“I am not sure we have seen the best of him yet.”

Earlier, Bin Suroor’s stable jockey, James Doyle, always looked confident on Tha’Ir in a 2000m turf handicap and they ran out a comfortable winner. Well beaten on his previous outing, over 200m further on the dirt, he was always travelling well just off the early pace and, once sent to the front by Doyle early in the straight, he never looked in serious danger.

“I was always happy,” said Doyle. “He has certainly appreciated this return to turf and did that well. His form as a juvenile was good and he is a nice horse.”

Bin Suroor then went on to complete a treble, saddling Songcraft to win the same 2400m handicap he won last year. If that was not good enough, the William Buick-partnered winner was chased home by stable companions, Al Saham and the aptly-named, Excellent Result.

“We thought we had good chances with all three,” said the trainer. “That is just a great result for everyone involved in the yard.”

The 1200m Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint, also on the dirt, produced a great scrap between old rivals Krypton Factor and Reynaldothewizard with the former looking the likely winner when hitting the front 300m out.

However, he had no answer to the final challenge of Reynaldothewizard, ridden by Richard Mullen for his main employer, Satish Seemar.

Both are previous winners of the Group 1 Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup night, Krypton Factor in 2012 and Reynaldothewizard 12 months later.

“He is obviously a real favourite in the yard and a horse we all like,’ said Mullen. “They went plenty quick enough up front and I was pretty happy out of my ground in the first half.

“Then he has picked up really nicely and done it well in the end.”

There was a third Group 3 feature on the dirt, the 1600m Firebreak Stakes, and jockey Hanagan went on to complete a big race double. Riding for his main employer, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum and trainer Musabah Al Muhairi, he was always positive on Tamarkuz.

As hopeful as connections may have been, they could surely not have expected the breathtaking performance the horse produced, totally destroying nine rivals.

“He is not the most straightforward,” said Hanagan. “However, he is smart, very smart. The ability is certainly there and hopefully we can focus that in the right direction.

“He was impressive last time but this was a big step up.Hopefullyhe has more to offer.’

The meeting opened with a 1900m dirt handicap, which does not count towards the Dubai World Cup Carnival and Doug Watson saddled the first and second.

Stable jockey, Pat Dobbs, looked to have the race in the bag onLayl, only to be headed by fellow Red Stables’ inmate,Jeeraanand Sam Hitchcott.

“Jeeraanran well for us on his last start behindLayl,”saidHitchcott. “That was his first run of the season and we expected improvement. He did not let us down and was very brave when I needed an extra effort from him.”

The finale, an 1800m handicap on the turf, provided the perfect opportunity for Watson to complete a double, this time with Dobbs aboard impressive winner,Limario.

Maftoolunder Paul Hanagan provides Godolphin with a second win on a successful Dubai World Cup Carnival night at Meydan,

storming into the UAE 2000 Guineas top spot for Saeed Bin Suroor.

Credit: Dubai Racing Club // Andrew Watkins

VENERDÌ 13 FEBBRAIO 2015. Meydan: #Maftool redentonelle UAE 2000 Guineas, nell’Al Shindagha ancora Reynaldothewizard

 

 

 

Mica male il giovedì di Meydan. Da vedere c’erano 3 corse di G3, utili per capire cosa accadrà nel corso del Carnival. Le 2000 Ghinee del Emirati Arabi Uniti (VIDEO CORSA QUI) hanno sempre laureato cavalli più che discreti, da qui è passata gente come Street Cry, Victory Moon ed Asiatic Boy. Quest’anno a vincere è stato un Godolphin molto interessante che risponde al nome di Maftool (Hard Spun), che aveva perso tragicamente il trial di questa corsa qualche settimana fa, ma fallendo completamente la partenza e recuperando molti metri durante il percorso arrivando a 5 lunghezze e mezzo da Mubtaahij (Dubawi), allievo di De Kock, con il quale aveva dunque un conto aperto, subito saldato nella foto per concessione di Andrew Watkins. Il figlio di Hard Spun (Danzig), per la prima volta con il visor e con in sella Paul Hanagan, ha provato a non partire ma messo subito sui binari giusti dal suo fantino ha prodotto una bella progressione dal centro della pista per regolare proprio il De Kockiano, partito da contro favorito. I due hanno dato vita ad un bel duello che si è protratto fin sul traguardo dove i due sono rimasti divisi da una testa. 
Al terzo, lontanissimo a 10 lunghe dai primi 2, l’argentino Ajwad (Not For Sale), l’unico 3 anni…e mezzo (dell’Emisfero Sud), in una corsa animata daBurnt Sugar (Lope De Vega), andato in avanti ma inabissatosi in retta. Il tempo finale sul miglio in sabbia è stato di 1m 37.69s (slow by 0.39s), praticamente lo stesso tempo prodotto dagli anziani nel corso della giornata e di cui parleremo dopo. Quanto al vincitore, chissà se riuscirà a coronare il sogno di Sheikh Mohammed di partecipare con chance al Kentucky Derby G1, per ora in programma c’è solo il Derby degli Emirati Arabi in programma nella notte della DWC del 28 Marzo. 

 

Maftool in Europa si è distinto per la vittoria nelle Somerville Tattersall Stakes G3 di Newmarket n Settembre. Allevato da C Kidder and J K and Linda Griggs, è il primo prodotto della fattrice With Intention (Mr Greeley) che non ha mai corso. Maftool risulta acquistato per $260,000 da Shadwell, poi passato a Godolphin. 

Da vedere c’era anche l’Al Shindagha Sprint G3 (VIDEO CORSA QUI), sui 1200 metri in dirt, che si correva in preparazione del Golden Shaheen G1 nella World Cup night su stessa distanza e tracciato. L’onesta andatura iniziale con Beat Baby (Johannesburg) autore di ottimi parziali, hano giocato a favore del vecchio Reynaldothewizard (Speightstown) che sembrava fuori dai parziali ed invece dal centro della pista ha prodotto una bella progressione con Richard Mullen in sella, vincendo e battendo l’altro atteso Krypton Factor (Kyllachy) con al terzo Speed Hawk (Henny Hughes). Reynaldo, reduce da una affermazione al rientro, ha già vinto il Golden Shaheen, ci proverà ancora.

 

Nell’ultimo G3 della giornata, nulla da inventare e alla fine ha stravinto Tamarkuz nelle Firebreak Stakes (VIDEO CORSA QUI) sul miglio, con il figlio diSpeightstown (Gone West) di proprietà di Hamdan Al Maktoum ha dato seguito ad una già brillante affermazione in handicap, lasciando a 4 lunghezze e mezzo Gold City (Pivotal) in 1m 37.45s (slow by 0.15s). Nulla da fare per l’eterna promessa Darwin (Big Brown), nemmeno sotto le mani di De Kock, mentre United Color (Ghostzapper) è giunto quinto. Tamarkuz è un cavallo in assoluto progresso, ha vinto 5 delle 11 corse disputate ed è allenato da M Al Muhairi. In giornata c’era da registrare anche il tentativo di Scighera (New Approach) in un handicap di inizio convegno ma la seconda delle Oaks G2 italiane 2014, è arrivata ancora una volta ultima lontana.

 

PUBBLICATO DA GABRIELE CANDI A VENERDÌ, FEBBRAIO 13, 2015