The Apache had not raced since finishing sixth in the Group 1 J&B Met last
Perched in a tracking spot behind the front-running Do It All, The Apache was
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The Apache, equally game, burst right between them. Meanwhile, fellow
comebacker City Style exploded from well off the pace wider out. The two kicked
clear of the rest in a private battle, and The Apache found a bit extra to pull
away from City Style by three-quarters of a length.
“I rode this horse work in the week,” Soumillon said, “and he really pleased
me, so I was pretty hopeful of a big run. He has done well after his break and
can hopefully improve.”
De Kock hadn’t exactly gone in expecting to win his record fifth Al Rashidiya,
believing that The Apache wasn’t fully cranked for this reappearance.
“I actually thought he would need that,” de Kock said, “so it is very
pleasing, and hopefully he can build on this.”
Another 2 1/4 lengths astern came the unlucky Sharestan. An impressive winner
of the January 10 Al Rashidiya Trial on opening night of the Carnival, Sharestan
was bottled up in traffic in the main event. By the time the Godolphin
first-stringer finally saw daylight, the race was essentially over, and he did
well to overtake stablemate Aesop’s Fables for third by a half-length.
Rounding out the order of finish were Albaasil, So Beautiful, Light Heavy,
Derbaas, Fanunalter and Do It All.
The Apache, who covered about 1 1/8 miles on Meydan’s good turf in 1:49 3/5,
has now bankrolled $392,780 from his 16-7-2-1 line. Previously trained by Gavin
van Zyl, the son of Mogok reigned as South Africa’s champion three-year-old colt
of 2010-11 through victories in the Group 1 Daily News 2000, Group 1 Champion’s
Cup and Group 2 Dingaans. The following season, his best stakes results were a
third in the Group 2 Victory Moon and a near-miss second in the Group 3 London
News.
Considering that The Apache has been beaten convincingly by Igugu in two
premier races back home, the Group 1 Durban July and the J&B Met, his success in
the Al Rashidiya rates as a significant compliment ahead of her upcoming Dubai
debut.
Indeed, de Kock had a crafty grin when asked about this
enticing formline in the postrace interview. Plans call for Igugu to be unveiled
in the Group 2 Balanchine on February 21.
Bred by Scott Bros. in South Africa, The Apache is out of the Dolpour mare
Apache Rose, who is a full sister to Group 3-placed stakes heroine Sugar
Magnolia and Group 2-placed West West. The Apache’s second dam is Group 1 star
Bold West.
Rerouted, owned by a partnership including golfer Lee Westwood, got up in
Formerly campaigned by breeder Juddmonte Farms, Rerouted scored his signature
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In his reappearance, Rerouted was third to Sharestan in the Al Rashidiya
Trial. He broke through on Thursday on a productive day for Westwood, who was on
hand at the track after shooting -5 in the first round of the Dubai Desert
Classic.
“We have had some joy here in the past — especially Right Approach,”
Westwood said, alluding to his dead-heat winner of the 2004 Group 1 Duty Free,
“and this horse has been running well in defeat, so it is nice to see him win.”
De Kock’s night got off on the right note with Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum’s
homebred Mushreq. One of last week’s hard-luck stories when a compromised
fourth, the Flying Spur gelding didn’t have a straw in his path this time.
Under Paul Hanagan, the sheikh’s retained rider, Mushreq advanced on the
outside, outkicked Godolphin’s Royal Empire by 1 1/2 lengths, and completed
about 1 1/4 grassy miles in 2:01 4/5.
“That really was a case of third time lucky, as I do not think I have had a
more unlucky horse in my years campaigning here,” de Kock said. “Paul did the
right thing to stay wide, and the horse deserved that.”
The Australian-bred Mushreq began his career in South Africa, where he missed
by a neck in the Group 1 Golden Horseshoe as a juvenile in 2011. He failed to
cut the mustard as a classic candidate, finishing fifth in the Group 1 Cape
Derby and a tailed-off last in the Group 1 SA Classic early last year, and is
now in his first season abroad.
Finishing best of all was English shipper Medicean Man, who had been anchored
“They went very fast, and that suits him as he likes to run through tiring
She Shea, a son of the just-deceased National Emblem, checked in seventh in
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Godolphin garnered two races on the evening, beginning with Kassiano, who
topped the Saeed bin Suroor exacta in a Tapeta handicap. Stablemate Con Artist
was the ostensible first-stringer, judging by the presence of Silvestre de Sousa
in the saddle, but Kassiano proved too strong. With Ted Durcan aboard, the
progressive four-year-old bested Con Artist by a neck and finished about 1 3/16
miles in 1:58 3/5.
“We were probably a bit unlucky the last day (runner-up to Royal Empire on
January 10),” Durcan said, “so it is nice to get a win on him, and he should be
able to go on from here.”
Originally racing for Stall Lustige, Kassiano had won four of his first five
starts — on turf at Fontainebleau and Hannover as well as a pair of scores over
Deauville’s Polytrack. That profile made him an attractive type for the
Carnival, and the Solder Hollow gelding was purchased for
€165,000 at the Arqana Arc Sale in October.
His premiere for Godolphin came on opening night, when he was second to Royal
Empire, and he now sports a mark of 6-4-1-1.
The trainer/jockey tandem of Mahmood al Zarooni and Mickael Barzalona, who
had endured runner-up efforts with City Style and Van Ellis, struck at last with
the returning Time Prisoner in the nightcap. Last seen finishing fifth in the
Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort nearly a year ago, the son of Elusive Quality produced a
sustained late run to overhaul Dux Scholar and win going away by three-quarters
of a length. Time Prisoner stopped the teletimer in 1:24 1/5 for about seven
furlongs on the turf. Now a six-year-old, the gray enjoyed his biggest win in
the Group 3 Prix de Ris-Orangis in 2011.
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