Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum’s homebred Mahbooba, just touched off
by First City in the Group 2 Cape Verdi over an inadequate mile last time,
exacted revenge on her rival over an extra furlong in Friday’s Group 2, $200,000
Balanchine at Meydan. Trained by Mike de Kock and ridden by Christophe Soumillon,
the former South African champion took some time to hit top gear, but her late
momentum proved irresistible as she drew off by 2 1/2 lengths.
Before the Thursday and Friday Carnival action, de Kock had identified
Mahbooba as his top threat over the two cards. After Viscount Nelson took
Thursday’s Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort, and Zanzamar prevailed in a deep handicap for
the yard later that evening, Mahbooba’s chances looked even rosier.
The added distance of the Balanchine wasn’t the only factor in Mahbooba’s
favor. First City picked up extra weight for her Cape Verdi victory and was
spotting three pounds to the whole field, and perhaps more decisively still,
there was a better pace scenario.
Unlike in the Cape Verdi, where stablemate Reem was slowly away and Mahbooba
ended up doing the donkey work up front herself, Mahbooba was able to settle off
a more typical tempo. Al Sharood led the way under pressure from Reem, and First
City, who had come from well back last time, stalked the pair. Reem then took
over from Al Sharood, but First City was soon lapped onto her to throw down her
challenge at the top of the stretch.
Mahbooba was trying to rally wider out down the center of the course, and
briefly appeared to be treading water. Finally asserting the farther she went,
she overpowered the dueling pair and covered about nine furlongs in 1:50 1/5 on
the good turf.
First City denied Reem by a neck for second, foiling a de Kock exacta. Al
Sharood, Rhythm of Light, Hurricane Havoc, Fanditha, Dysphonia, Grafitti and
Marvada rounded out the order of finish.
“We knew the 1600 meters in the Cape Verdi was going to be on the short
side,” de Kock said of Mahbooba, “and she has needed the 1800 meters here. She
won over further in the UK last year, and I think we will try the 2400 meters of
the (Group 2) Dubai City of Gold on Super Saturday (March 10) with a view to
aiming her at the (Group 1) Dubai Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup night (March
31).”
The Australian-bred daughter of Galileo ranked as South Africa’s champion
two-year-old filly following scores in the Group 1 Golden Slipper and the Group
2 Debutante, along with a third in the Group 1 Allan Robertson Championship.
Shipped to Dubai for the 2011 Carnival, Mahbooba rolled in the U.A.E. One
Thousand Guineas, finished second in the Group 3 U.A.E. Oaks and third in the
Group 2 U.A.E. Derby. She reappeared in England last summer, with her highlight
being a six-length conquest of males in the Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket, her
only attempt at 1 1/2 miles so far, and ended 2011 with a sixth in the Grade 1
E.P. Taylor at Woodbine.
In her 2012 debut at Meydan, Mahbooba posted a dynamic 4 1/4-length victory
in the January 5 Al Rashidiya Trial versus males, in course-record time for
about nine furlongs on turf. She almost got away with the cutback in trip for
the Cape Verdi, but was clearly in her element here. Her fifth stakes success
advanced her record to 15-7-3-3, $755,805.
Mahbooba, who was produced by the Red Ransom mare Sogha, hails from the
family of Hall of Famer Lady’s Secret.
The rest of Friday’s fare for Thoroughbreds wasn’t as rich as most Carnival
days. The opening event, a maiden on Tapeta, marked a successful debut for the
four-year-old gelding Farrier. A $525,000 Keeneland September yearling, the son
of Tapit is a full brother to Grade 3 victress War Echo and a half-brother to
Grade 1-winning millionaire Pyro and current Kentucky Derby hopeful Longview
Drive.
Sporting the colors of Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed al Maktoum, the Satish
Seemar pupil rallied to a three-length victory beneath Richard Mullen. Farrier
negotiated about seven furlongs in 1:25 2/5 to earn the $9,000 winner’s check.
Roberto Whyte Guerra’s Plantagenet scored for Spain in an about 10-furlong
handicap on Tapeta. Dropping down in class from higher-end handicaps on turf,
the Guillermo Arizkorreta charge defied the top weight of 132 pounds to chase
after, and run down, Ahlaain, who appeared to have slipped the field.
Plantagenet won going away by two lengths for Ioritz Mendizabal.
Track announcer Terry Spargo seized the opportunity offered by the winner’s
name to remark that “Plantagenet is a lion heart tonight.”
The son of Trade Fair was honored as Spain’s champion three-year-old colt of
2010, on the strength of a winning streak including the non-black type Derby
Espanol. Plantagenet had found life tougher since then, and was snapping an
11-race losing skid here.
Adding further to the Carnival’s cosmopolitan flair, the Swedish-based Tertio
Bloom dead-heated with Capital Attraction in an about seven-furlong Tapeta
handicap. Stall in Bloom’s Tertio Bloom, ridden by Per-Anders Graberg for
trainer Fabricio Borges, forged to the lead about a furlong out and was all out
to hold on. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan’s Capital Attraction,
trained by Ernst Oertel, got up under Mirco Demuro to share the spoils on the
line.
Champion U.A.E. trainer Ali Rashid al Raihe added to his win total courtesy
of Garbah in an about six-furlong handicap on Tapeta. With Royston Ffrench
aboard, Saeed Mananah’s filly stalked and pounced her way to a 1 1/2-length
decision over the late-running Dan Chillingworth,
Saeed Naser al Romaithi’s Alnashmy made his first start for Musabah al
Muhairi a winning one in a metric mile Tapeta handicap. The son of Shamardal,
who was formerly based in Ireland with David Marnane, safely held Radegund Abbey
by a length with Wayne Smith in the saddle.