In the aftermath of the Burj Nahaar, bin Suroor was leaving his options open
“He has had to show a lot of courage there, and it is very satisfying,” bin
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Mendip was held up off the pace by a patient Frankie Dettori, who settled him
in midpack on the outside. Meanwhile, the front-running Famous Warrior (Alhaarth)
was bowling along merrily until the stretch. By that point, the stalking pair of
Snaafy (Kingmambo) and As de Trebol (Tapit) moved in tandem to overtake the
longtime leader, and Zafeen Speed (Zafeen) and Mendip were beginning to advance
themselves.
But as Snaafy and As de Trebol kept up their intense battle for the lead,
Mendip took a while to find his best stride. His lack of acceleration was
unexpected, considering his smashing 2 1/4-length success in the Maktoum
Challenge Round 1 (UAE-G3) last time out over the same metric mile on Tapeta.
Under pressure from Dettori, Mendip gradually inched closer, yet he was still in
danger of suffering the upset.
As de Trebol, who had at last beaten off Snaafy, was clinging to his
hard-fought advantage, and Zafeen Speed was finishing purposefully between foes.
Mendip proved relentless in the dying yards, though, and just got the better of
Zafeen Speed by a neck, with As de Trebol another half-length away in third.
Snaafy checked in another 1 1/4 lengths adrift in fourth, trailed by Banna
Boirche (Lucky Owners), Sangaree (Awesome Again), Our Giant (Giant’s Causeway),
Famous Warrior, Crowded House (GB) (Rainbow Quest), Prince Shaun (Acclamation),
Falcativ (Falbrav [Ire]), Verde-Mar (Gilded Time), Cat Junior (Storm Cat) and
Kinky Afro (Modigliani).
Mendip stopped the teletimer in 1:36 3/5, improving his scorecard to 6-5-0-1
while increasing his earnings to $628,461. The dark bay launched his career as a
juvenile in England, where he effortlessly broke his maiden over Kempton’s
Polytrack in September 2009. He was put away for the winter and did not reappear
until the 2010 Dubai Carnival. A cozy allowance win at Meydan set him up for his
6 1/4-length rout in the Al Bastakiya S. Mendip then suffered his only loss to
date in the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2), beaten a total of three lengths by Musir (Redoute’s
Choice). Sidelined for more than nine months, he returned to dominate the
aforementioned Maktoum Challenge Round 1.
Bred by Jayeff B Stables in Kentucky, Mendip brought $130,000 as a Keeneland
September yearling, but later commanded $375,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Calder
two-year-old. The first registered foal from the Coronado’s Quest mare Well
Spring, Mendip counts as his second dam multiple Grade 1 heroine Chaposa Springs
(Baldski), herself a half-sister to Metropolitan H. (G1) winner and sire You and
I (Kris S.).
“That was a great ride from Ryan (Moore),” Brown said. “This is a really good
Bankable broke slowly for Moore and loped along at the rear of the field for
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Conveyance held runner-up honors by a half-length from Force Freeze (Forest
Camp), and Rileyskeepingfaith (Hunting Lion) got up for fourth. The hampered
Green Beret (Fayruz), who was forced to check abruptly off heels on the far
turn, recovered to grab fifth. Iver Bridge Lad (Avonbridge), Indomito (Areion),
Global City (Exceed and Excel), Barbecue Eddie (Stormy Atlantic), Silaah (Mind
Games), Bank Merger (Consolidator) and Alazeyab (El Prado [Ire]) rounded out the
order of finish.
With this fourth career stakes score to his credit, Bankable’s resume now
reads 22-8-7-1, $2,016,899. The seven-year-old bay was initially conditioned by
Luca Cumani. Successful in the 2008 On the House S. at Goodwood in his stakes
debut, the bay went on to finish runner-up in the Celebration Mile (Eng-G2),
Select S. (Eng-G3), Joel S. (Eng-G3), Darley S. (Eng-G3) and Steventon S.,
thereby earning the reputation of a frustrating bridesmaid. He snapped that
losing skid first time out for Mike de Kock at Nad al Sheba in early 2009, then
was privately purchased by Chechen President Kadyrov prior to the 2009 Duty
Free, where he finished fifth. Bankable concluded his sojourn with de Kock with
a third in the Singapore Airlines International Cup (Sin-G1). Transferred to
trainer Gary Moore in the summer of 2009, Bankable closed for second in the
Winter Hill S. (Eng-G3) and next time out landed the Fortune S.
Bankable, who joined Brown for the 2010 Carnival, got off to an auspicious
start by garnering the Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-G2) in his debut. Following his
runner-up effort in the Duty Free, he did not resurface for more than nine
months, and Brown made sure to start him off on the Tapeta. An encouraging
fourth in his January 13 return at this trip, he stretched out to a metric mile
on the Tapeta in the February 10 Firebreak S. and wound up a more distant
fourth. Brown mentioned that his fitness had been an issue, so the Mahab al
Shimaal loomed as an attractive prep.
Bred by Barronstown Stud and Cobra in Ireland, Bankable brought $294,940 as a
Tattersalls October yearling. He is out of English Group 1-placed Dance to the
Top (Sadler’s Wells), making him a half-brother to French Group 3 victor
Cheshire (GB) (Warning [GB]). Dance to the Top is herself a half-sister to
multiple stakes winner and Australian Group 1-placed Polar Bear (Polar Falcon).
This is the family of German highweight juvenile colt El Maimoun (Royal Academy)
and Susu (GB) (Machiavellian), an English Group 2 queen and highweight older
mare.
Reem, who had previously traded decisions with her highly-touted stablemate
“The fillies certainly seem better than the colts this year,” de Kock
Well placed early by Kevin Shea, Reem remained in striking distance, just off
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Ahlaain (Bernstein) flubbed the start, but rallied to finish a clear best of
the rest by 4 1/4 lengths. As the runner-up in last Thursday’s Meydan Classic,
Ahlaain gave the form a solid look. Borug (Kingmambo) took third, while Sonoran
Sands faded to fourth. Bridgefield (Speightstown), a close fourth in the
February 10 U.A.E. Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3), cast a blot on that form by
winding up fifth and was followed by Paulinho (Equal Stripes), Energia Carioca (Thignon
Lafre [Brz]), Air of Grace (Dalakhani), Amica (Silvano [Ger]) and the long-way
last Abjer (Singspiel [Ire]).
The Australian-bred Reem’s first stakes coup advanced her record to 9-3-4-0,
$314,291. She finished second in her first two starts Down Under for David
Payne, then opened her account over a mile at Warwick Farm in July. A close
fifth to the talented More Strawberries (More Than Ready) in her stakes debut in
the September 4 Furious S. (Aus-G2) at Randwick, she next came in ninth versus
males in the September 18 Gloaming S. (Aus-G3).
Reem has really come to hand since teaming up with de Kock in Dubai. An
upset, wire-to-wire winner over Mahbooba in the January 13 U.A.E. One Thousand
Guineas Trial, she couldn’t hold a candle to Mahbooba in the Guineas itself, but
finished a useful second. Reem ducked a rematch in the February 24 U.A.E. Oaks
(UAE-G3), instead contesting the February 18 Balanchine S. (UAE-G2), where she
garnered runner-up honors behind de Kock’s classy older mare River Jetez (Jet
Master).
Produced by the Danehill mare Al Afreet, Reem comes from the family of Two
Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) winner and
multiple highweight Rodrigo de Triano (El Gran Senor), Group 3 scorer Modigliani
(Danzig) and Danish Group 1 victor Varuna (Luthier).