When Krypton Factor took to the track at Meydan Racecourse at the start of last
Within the span of just four races last term, the highly progressive gelding
“I think a lot of people were questioning whether he had the class,” owner-trainer Nass
This season the handsome bay son of Kyllachy won’t get onto the track until the
“There isn’t really a race for Krypton Factor until February,” Nass remarked.
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well as conditioning 11 horses in Dubai, the handler also maintains a 42-strong
yard in his native Bahrain and has a small number of horses in training in the
UK. Among them is the promising Mujazif, a three-length winner of a nice maiden
for Brian Meehan at Newmarket this October.
“I’ll be looking at the Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint in mid-Febuary and the
(Group 3) Mahab
Al Shimal on Super Saturday (March 9) for him,” Nass explained.
Krypton Factor was the popular success story of the Dubai World Cup Carnival
last season. His duels with Hitchens captured the imagination of race fans.
Hitchens first beat Nass’s charge by a short head in the Al Shindagha Sprint
before the fast-improving Krypton Factor turned the tables on David Barron’s
sprinter in the Mahab Al Shimal.
Then on World Cup day, Krypton Factor, ridden by regular jockey Kieren Fallon,
claimed the biggest sprint prize, dashing the hopes of Pat Shaw’s defending
champion, Rocket Man as well as pre-race favorite, The Factor, to claim the
Golden Shaheen.
Now Nass is looking forward to seeing whether his stable star can defend his
Golden Shaheen Crown on March 30.
“He went to Singapore and Ascot and encountered soft ground and he’d done some
traveling so we didn’t see him at his best,” Nass stated. “But he loves the
all-weather in Dubai and he is back here now. He’s doing very well but he’s
still far away from being ready for his first run, which won’t be until later in
the season.”
However, Nass has plenty to keep him busy until then. He recently purchased
Carnival runners Lui Rei, an old Dubai campaigner, and two-year-old Hototo, who finished
sixth in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes for former trainer, Kevin Ryan, in
October.
“Lui Rei is rated 102 and has run around Meydan a few times,” Nass said. “He’s
not a young horse and we are just hoping that he bounces back to his best form.
Hototo is rated 104 and he looks like a consistent youngster that I’m hoping can
maintain that same form over here.”
With 42 days to go until the Carnival, Nass is set to saddle his first runner of
the new season on Friday at Jebel Ali Racecourse.
Critical Moment goes to post in a 1,600 meter maiden at the Sheikh Ahmed Bin Rashid
Al Maktoum-owned course under jockey Pat Cosgrave.
“He ran in the UAE last year having come over from England rated 100,”
said Nass,
who won’t be in attendance at the races on Friday as he also has runners in
Bahrain. “He’s now rated 88, which hopefully should be nice competitive mark. He
stayed here in Dubai over the summer and I’m looking forward to seeing how he
comes on.”
Also carrying the Nass colors this season will be Forevertheoptimist and
Journalistic, who will make their seasonal debuts at Meydan on December
6.
“Forevertheoptimist is in the same boat as Critical Moment,” Nass noted. “He came
here last year but we could not get him right so he didn’t run. He’s dropped
from a mark of 97 to 91. Journalistic is a maiden who had five attempts in
England, coming second once and third twice. I’m hoping that the break has
helped him come on since his last run.”
Also due to have pre-Carnival runs are Finest Reserve, Shamsheer, Muraweg and
Rocks Off.
“I bought them over from Bahrain and they’ve all run there apart from Finest
Reserve,” Nass added. “They have good race records and they are just horses that
I thought would take to the all-weather.”
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