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Maftool turns tables in U.A.E. Guineas; Reynaldo, Tamarkuz
stay hot
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| Newly visored Maftool (left) edged Mubtaahij in a battle of US Triple Crown nominees
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) |
Godolphin's Maftool (Hard Spun), third to Mubtaahij (Dubawi) after flubbing
the start of the January 15 trial, turned the tables with the help of a
first-time visor in Thursday's $250,000 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3).
Breaking like a shot for Paul Hanagan, the Kentucky-bred secured much better
early position and overhauled Mubtaahij in a rousing stretch battle between U.S.
Triple Crown nominees.Maftool kept his head in front of his stubborn foe, who gamely attempted to
come again on the rail. By completing the metric mile in a sharp 1:37 3/5 on
Meydan's dirt, Maftool lifted trainer Saeed bin Suroor to a record-tying fifth
win in the classic. Ironically, bin Suroor was equaling Mubtaahij's trainer,
Mike de Kock.
"The start was always a worry," Hanagan said. "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."
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The top two were in a race of their own, for there was a 10 3/4-length chasm
back to Ajwad (Not for Sale), de Kock's other runner, in third. Godolphin's
second string, the newly blinkered Zephuros (Invincible Spirit), was fourth for
Charlie Appleby. Early leader Burnt Sugar (Lope de Vega) faded to fifth in the
strung-out field of seven.
Maftool was earning his second career stakes victory, following the
Somerville Tattersall (Eng-G3) at Newmarket last September. The dark bay was
previously a staying-on second in the six-furlong Sirenia (Eng-G3) over
Kempton's Polytrack to Burnt Sugar, but the passage of time, and added ground,
have worked in Maftool's favor. Maftool was fifth in a soft ground Dewhurst S.
(Eng-G1) prior to shipping to Dubai, and his resume now reads 7-3-2-1, $250,964.
The rubber match between Maftool and Mubtaahij could come in the March 28
U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2), a race worth 100 points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Bin Suroor told godolphin.com that Maftool might have another run in between,
with the March 7 Al Bastakiya the logical spot.
Bred by C. Kidder and J.K. and Linda Griggs in the Bluegrass State, Maftool
was purchased for $260,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November. He is the first
registered foal from the Mr. Greeley mare With Intention, an unraced half-sister
to Grade 2-winning sprinter Abraaj (Carson City) and Grade 3-winning juvenile
Leelanau (Carson City).
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| Tamarkuz lowered his own track record in the Firebreak, a stepping stone to the Godolphin Mile
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) |
Hanagan later made it a Group 3 double on the card courtesy of Sheikh
Hamdan's Tamarkuz (Speightstown), who eclipsed his own track record when running
away with the $200,000 Firebreak S. (UAE-G3) in his stakes bow.
An impressive winner of a January 22 handicap over this metric mile in
1:37.47, the Musabah al Muhairi charge was always prominent from his inside
draw, began to get away from the field on the far turn, and drew four lengths
clear. Tamarkuz clocked 1:37.45 to shave .02 off his mark, and stamped himself
as a leading contender for the March 28 Godolphin Mile (UAE-G2).
"He is not the most straightforward," Hanagan said of the five-year-old, who
has had gate issues in the past. "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. Hopefully he has
more to offer."
Gold City (Pivotal) was best of the rest, with 3 3/4 lengths to spare over
third-placer Empire Storm (Storming Home). Two runners well known to U.S. fans
-- Darwin (Big Brown) and Romansh (Bernardini) -- did not fare as well. Darwin,
formerly with Todd Pletcher and Aidan O'Brien, retreated to seventh in his first
try for de Kock. Romansh was eliminated early in this debut for Salem bin
Ghadayer, appearing to clip heels and stumble a few strides out of the gate.
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Tamarkuz has compiled a mark of 11-5-2-0, $244,825. Thrice a winner over
synthetic surfaces in England for bin Suroor, the chestnut joined Muhairi for
the 2014 Carnival, only to be sidelined after hitting his head in the gate in
his second Meydan appearance. Tamarkuz resurfaced 10 months later in a January 8
handicap, finishing second to unbeaten Faulkner (Pivotal), and he's since won
two in a row by a combined margin of 8 1/2 lengths.
Bred by John D. Gunther in Kentucky, Tamarkuz was a $325,000 Keeneland
September yearling. He is the first registered foal from the unraced Without You
Babe (Lemon Drop Kid), a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 star and $1.9
million-earner Stay Thirsty (Bernardini) as well as Grade 3 scorer and classc-placed
Andromeda's Hero (Fusaichi Pegasus).
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| Past Golden Shaheen winners Reynaldothewizard (outside) and Krypton Factor ran one-two in the Al Shindagha Sprint
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) |
Top sire Speightstown was also recording a Group 3 double on Thursday, thanks
to his nine-year-old son Reynaldothewizard's victory in the $200,000 Al
Shindagha Sprint (UAE-G3).
The about six-furlong dash featured a clash between past Dubai Golden Shaheen
(UAE-G1) winners, and 2013 hero Reynaldothewizard capitalized on a fitness edge
to deny 2012 hero Krypton Factor (Kyllachy) by a neck. Trained by Satish Seemar
and ridden by Richard Mullen, the Zabeel Racing International colorbearer
rallied in a final time of 1:12 and remained perfect from two starts this
Carnival. He was coming off a 3 3/4-length decision in the January 15 Dubawi S.,
while Krypton Factor had not raced since his runner-up effort at Kempton October
8.
"He is obviously a real favorite in the yard and a horse we all like," Mullen
said of Reynaldothewizard. "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."
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Reynaldothewizard has now bankrolled $1,858,285 from his 23-9-2-2 record,
which reflects a third in the 2008 Saratoga Special (G2) before shifting tack to
Dubai. He captured the 2013 Mahab al Shimaal (UAE-G3) en route to Golden Shaheen
glory, and was second in the same prep last year. Fourth as the defending
champion in the Golden Shaheen, he made a winning return in the Dubawi.
Bred by Gibraltar Group in Kentucky and sold for $775,000 as a two-year-old
at Fasig-Tipton Florida, Reynaldothewizard is a half-brother to multiple Grade 1
queen Seventh Street (Street Cry) and Grade 2-placed American Story (Ghostzapper).
Their dam is multiple stakes victress and Grade 2-placed Holiday Runner (Meadowlake).
Godolphin and bin Suroor celebrated a triple on the program, with Tha'Ir (New
Approach) and Songcraft (Singspiel) being the supporting acts for Maftool in a
pair of turf handicaps. Tha'Ir, who expressed his dislike of dirt when 11th in
his Carnival reappearance January 22, was a different animal back on the lawn.
Under James Doyle, the five-year-old rolled to a 1 3/4-length victory while
finishing about 10 furlongs in 2:02 2/5 on the good course.
"I was always happy," Doyle said. "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."
Tha'Ir, perhaps best remembered for garnering the 2012 Chesham at Royal
Ascot, also placed in the Champagne (Eng-G2) and Solario (Eng-G3) that season.
His scorecard stands at 22-5-4-2, $279,612.
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| Songcraft outkicked Godolphin stablemates Al Saham and Excellent Result (far left) in a Saeed bin Suroor trifecta
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) |
Songcraft spearheaded a bin Suroor trifecta in the about 12-furlong turf
handicap. Freshened since a fourth in the August 23 March S. at Glorious
Goodwood, the Godolphin runner delivered a strong closing kick and defeated
stablemate Al Saham (Authorized) by a half-length. Rounding out the trio was
Excellent Result (Shamardal), a further 3 1/4 lengths astern.
William Buick guided Songcraft home in 2:30 4/5, helping the seven-year-old
up his line to 25-8-3-4, $607,243. Songcraft, successful in the 2013 Grand Cup
at York, has also placed in seven stakes, including two editions of the Dubai
City of Gold (UAE-G2).
Trainer Doug Watson saddled two winners, taking the opener and nightcap to
bookend the evening's racing. In the latter, Limario (Areion) held the late
thrust of de Kock's Zahee (Dylan Thomas) in an about nine-furlong turf handicap.
With Pat Dobbs in the saddle, the former German highweight juvenile stopped the
clock in 1:49 2/5 and advanced his record to 16-5-1-1, $325,386.
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Watson stablemates Jeeraan (Distorted Humor) and Layl (Street Cry) fought out
the finish of the first, a non-Carnival race, with the former showing great
heart to fight back after being headed and get up by a nose on the line. Sam
Hitchcott was aboard the winner, as Dobbs rode Layl, the 132-pound highweight
who was conceding six pounds to Jeeraan. A Shadwell Stud homebred sporting
Sheikh Hamdan's colors, Jeeraan negotiated about 1 3/16 miles on dirt in 1:58
3/5 and brandishes a mark of 9-3-0-1. The five-year-old was most recently a
distant third to Layl in his comeback from a 10-month holiday.
"Jeeraan ran well for us on his last start behind Layl," Hitchcott said.
"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."
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