Mahbooba faces six in UAE Oaks

Last updated: 2/23/11 1:39 PM

Mahbooba will attempt to
give de Kock the Guineas-Oaks double
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club)

This week’s 2011 Dubai
International Racing Carnival meeting will feature a seven-race, all Thoroughbred, card
highlighted by the 10th running of the UAE Oaks (UAE-G3) on Thursday.

The about 9 1/2-furlong test has attracted a field of seven and the Mike de Kock-trained MAHBOOBA
(Galileo [Ire]) is
going to be very hard to beat after her impressive win in the UAE One Thousand Guineas
on February 3. The bay lass captured a pair of stakes last season, including the
Golden Slipper S. (SAf-G1), and followed a nice runner-up effort in her seasonal
bow at Meydan with the 3 3/4-length Guineas tour de force.

De Kock won the UAE Oaks race last year with Raihana (Elusive
Quality), who also returned during the Carnival to be a close second in
the Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-G2) last out, and clearly holds Mahbooba
in high regard.

“(Mahbooba) is a good filly and has really pleased us this year,”
de Kock remarked. “The
Guineas was a good win and this extra distance should suit. Hopefully she is the
one they all have to beat.”

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor,
seeking his seventh win in the race, saddles both ABTASAAMAH (Distorted Humor) and KHAWLAH
(Cape Cross [Ire]). Frankie Dettori partners the latter, who finished third in
the Oh So Sharp S. (Eng-G3) to close out her juvenile campaign in October, while
Ted Durcan has the call on Abtasaamah.

Abtasaamah is one of four in the field who were
well beaten in the UAE One Thousand Guineas. She finished fifth, one spot behind
fourth-placer EMPIRE ROSE (Sunray Spirit). QUICK VAL (Val Royal [Fr]) was sixth
and AMICA (Silvano [Ger]) ran seventh.

Saudi Arabia’s Group 3-winning sprinter ELECTRIC WAVES (Exceed and Excel) looks a
doubtful stayer at this trip and completes the Oaks field.

Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam has elected to avoid another clash with Mahbooba and aims his CRYING
LIGHTENING (Holy Roman Emperor) at the main support race, the listed Meydan Classic
going about eight furlongs on the turf. The three-year-old event has attracted a field of 11 and Chapple-Hyam’s filly is an interesting contender
switched back to grass after two runs on the synthetic Tapeta, where she
finished behind Mahbooba
on both occasions.

Lord of the Stars showed his preference for the Meydan turf last out
in the Classic Trial
(Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club)

The about seven-furlong trial race was won by the David Simcock-trained LORD
OF THE STARS (Speightstown), who was 2 3/4 lengths clear of runner-up KRYPTON
FACTOR (Kyllachy). The latter runner returned on February 10 to be third in the UAE
Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3).

“He has yet to run a
bad race and seems very versatile with regards to surface,” Krypton Factor’s Bahrain-based handler Fawzi Nass
said. “He tries hard and,
with luck, should run another good race.”

The respective third- and fourth-place finishes in the trial, INTROVERT (Iffraaj) and AHLAAIN
(Bernstein), also renew rivalry in what looks to be a competitive heat.

Bin Suroor has won both previous editions of the Meydan Classic and saddles JANOOD
(Medicean), who
ran fourth in his local debut in an about seven-furlong Tapeta trial for the UAE
Two Thousand Guineas. He looks certain to appreciate the return to turf but it is somewhat
disconcerting that connections have reached for a visor.

Winner of his first two starts in England, Janood was considered good enough to
run in the Vincent O’Brien National S. (Ire-G1), where he finished eighth, and bin Suroor
is hoping the bay can bounce back in this spot.

“He is a horse
we really liked but struggled in Ireland on the soft ground,” bin Suroor
explained. “It was again soft
when he ran back in England and he ran OK on (the Tapeta) first time here. He
has come on for that run and can hopefully run well back on a faster grass
surface.”