Rewilding emulates half-sister Dar Re Mi in Sheema

Rewilding’s big score made his dam Darara the first to produce two Sheema winners (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) One year after Dar Re Mi (GB) captured the $5 million Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1), her younger half-brother REWILDING (Tiger Hill) followed in her hoofsteps by collecting the trophy in grand style. Trained by Mahmood al Zarooni and patiently piloted by Frankie Dettori, the four-year-old son of crack racemare Darara (Ire) (Top Ville) swept down the center of the Meydan course to register a career-high, and hand Godolphin its third winner on World Cup night. “It was just a fantastic feeling. He hit a flat part at the top of the stretch, but once we worked through the gears, he ran on well,” Dettori said. Rewilding had not been seen since disappointing in sixth in the September 11 St Leger (Eng-G1) at an extended 1 3/4 miles, but the bay colt was much happier back at his preferred about 1 1/2-mile trip here. Dettori reserved his mount off the pace, managing to avoid some early scrimmaging that hampered stablemate Calvados Blues (Lando [Ger]), who was in tight quarters as the front rank bunched up. Laaheb (Cape Cross [Ire]) loped to the early lead as Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner Dangerous Midge (Lion Heart) was hung out wide on the first turn. With little early pace on, Japanese contender Rulership (King Kamehameha) moved up to take command on the backstretch, and continued to lead the way until well into the homestretch.

By that time, Laaheb was mounting a renewed offensive, Redwood (GB) (High
Chaparral [Ire]) was working his way forward, Calvados Blues was desperately
seeking room between horses, and striding best of all on the outside of the cavalry charge was Rewilding. Flashing
his high-class turn of foot, he outkicked his rivals and sprinted home a 3
1/4-length winner in a final time of 2:29 on the good turf.

Redwood fended off the unlucky Calvados Blues by a neck for second.

“Fantastic — it’s a huge run from the horse,” Michael Hills said of
runner-up
Redwood. “I had to work to keep position on him on the turn, but I think there’s
still more big races in this horse.”

“Some slow horses in front of me stopped,” Ahmed Ajtebi said of his troubled
trip aboard Calvados Blues, “and I didn’t want to push Frankie out because we’re
a team. I tried to go inside, but they closed the gap on me.”

Laaheb held
fourth by a half-length from Chinchon (Ire) (Marju). Rulership, Irish Flame
(Dynasty), Deem (Dalakhani), King Dancer (Danehill Dancer), Marinous (Numerous),
Bourbon Bay (Sligo Bay [Ire]), Champ Pegasus (Fusaichi Pegasus), Al Shemali (Medicean)
and a tailed-off Dangerous Midge rounded out the order under the wire.

“(Bourbon Bay) was in a good position,” jockey Rafael Bejarano said. “I
tried to keep my position. He wasn’t comfortable. From the half-mile everyone
started pushing forward. He kept running but was getting tired.”

“(Champ Pegasus) broke away,” jockey Joel Rosario offered. “He kind of
dropped so far back. He never picked it up.”

Jockey Martin Dwyer was baffled by the non-effort of Dangerous Midge, who
backpedaled abruptly on the far turn.

Frankie Dettori basks in his second winner on the night (Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club) “He didn’t run very well. He wasn’t himself tonight and I don’t know why,” Dwyer said. Rewilding improved his record to 8-4-2-1, and the $3 million winner’s share pushed his earnings to $3,455,646. Originally based in France with Andre Fabre, he stamped himself as a classic hopeful when finishing second in last April’s Prix Noailles (Fr-G2). Rewilding was promptly transferred to al Zarooni and made a smashing debut for the yard in the Cocked Hat S. at Goodwood, bolting up by four lengths. Subsequently third in the Derby (Eng-G1) at Epsom, he rebounded with another dynamic four-length coup in the August 17 Great Voltigeur S. (Eng-G2) at York. That catapulted him into even-money favoritism for the St Leger, but he never appeared comfortable en route to his sixth-place performance.

Bred by Watership Down Stud in Great Britain, Rewilding was sold for $904,732
as a Tattersalls October yearling. He was produced by 1986 Prix Vermeille
(Fr-G1) queen Darara, whose notable performers include English highweight older
mare Dar Re Mi (Singspiel [Ire]), Hong Kong champion River Dancer (formerly
known as Diaghilev) (Sadler’s Wells), Spanish champion Dariyoun (Shahrastani)
and Australian Group 1 winner Darazari (Sadler’s Wells), as well as Dararita
(Halo), the dam of German highweight older stayer Darasim (Kahyasi).

Darara is herself a half-sister to French champion, classic winner and
influential sire Darshaan (Shirley Heights) and French Group 2 heroine Dalara (Doyoun),
who went on to produce multiple Group 1 victor Daliapour (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells).