African Story pens winning script for Godolphin in Dubai
World Cup
Godolphin’s African Story, only fifth to Animal Kingdom in the 2013 Dubai
World Cup, sprang a 17-1 upset in Saturday’s renewal of the Group 1, $10 million
prize. Brushing aside bold front runner Mukhadram in the stretch, the homebred
son of Pivotal drew off with authority in track-record time. In so doing,
African Story gave jockey Silvestre de Sousa his first, and trainer Saeed bin
Suroor his sixth, victory in the world’s richest race.
“This is our sixth win in the race and it has been a long time in coming,”
said bin Suroor, whose last triumph came courtesy of Electrocutionist in 2006.
“There has been a lot of pressure from a lot of people, but I thought two years
ago this was the right horse for this race.
“In my heart I thought this horse could win — he is something really special
and I told Sheikh Mohammed this two years ago.
“This is a big thrill and I dedicate this win to my mother and I will give
her my golden whip.”
The seven-year-old African Story is a course specialist at Meydan, but his
best results had hitherto come at a mile. A two-time winner of the Burj Nahaar,
the gelding had scored his signature win in the Godolphin Mile on World Cup
night in 2012. Following his fifth when stepping up in trip to about 1 1/4 miles
in last year’s World Cup, connections decided to keep him going a route of
ground this Carnival. He was an eye-catching second to stablemate Prince Bishop
in the Maktoum Challenge Round 2 on February 6, but hit his head in the gate in
the Maktoum Challenge Round 3 on Super Saturday, and never got involved in
eighth.
Racing with a clear head in the World Cup, African Story not only turned the
Round 3 form upside down, but also dispatched an international field. Hong
Kong’s Military Attack was favored at 3-1, while compatriot Akeed Mofeed also
had credentials. American-turned-Saudi star Ron the Greek and Epsom Derby hero
Ruler of the World likewise attracted some support.
The start was delayed momentarily when Sanshaawes acted up in the gate and
reportedly got his right hoof caught in it. An improving type who was a terrific
second to Prince Bishop in Round 3, the Mike de Kock pupil had to be backed out
of the starting stall and examined by the veterinarian. Passed fit to run, he
was reloaded, and the World Cup was off.
Speedy English shipper Mukhadram hustled from post 13 to take the lead,
angled over, and dictated terms in his usual enthusiastic fashion. Japan’s Hokko
Tarumae raced in second, and African Story was navigated into a beautiful
rail-skimming trip in the leader’s slipstream. Ruler of the World and Ron the
Greek both tried to go forward and mitigate the damage from posts 12 and 16,
respectively, but still found themselves hung out wide.
Mukhadram attempted to deliver a knockout blow entering the stretch. A
homebred racing for Sheikh Hamdan, who was severely critical of the Tapeta
surface in an interview this week, Mukhadram would have made for an interesting
trophy presentation.
But African Story nipped that story line in the bud for Sheikh Mohammed.
Peeling away from the fence and accosting the longtime leader, he swiftly put
Mukhadram away, opened up by 2 1/2 lengths, and posted a final time of 2:01.61
— a Meydan record at the distance.
“It turned into a perfect race for me as I only had one horse in front of
me,” de Sousa recapped. “I knew I had to get past him quick and it was a big
relief when I went clear.
“African Story has good track form having won the Godolphin Mile two years
ago. He traveled well and quickened great and I am over the moon.
“There is pressure, but at the same time I think I have shown that I have
given my best and that there may still be more to come.”
Sheikh Hamdan’s retained rider, Paul Hanagan, was delighted with Mukhadram.
“I am very proud of him and it was a tremendous effort from (trainer) William
Haggas to have him ready to run after such a long layoff,” Hanagan said of the
son of Shamardal, who was last seen finishing fifth in the October 19 Champion
Stakes.
“We went forward and I got a breather in to him down the back straight. We
kicked at the top of the home run and for a moment I thought I had nicked it but
in the end we were beaten by a very good horse on the night.”
Mukhadram was easily best of the rest by four lengths from Godolphin’s
seemingly fourth-stringer Cat O’Mountain, who completed the trifecta for horses
owned by the Maktoum family.
Side Glance, fourth to Animal Kingdom last year, duplicated that performance
on Saturday. Akeed Mofeed was fifth, and 2013 runner-up Red Cadeaux checked in
sixth. The rest, in order, compromised Sanshaawes, Godolphin’s Vancouverite, the
slow-starting Prince Bishop, Military Attack, Belshazzar, Ron the Greek, Ruler
of the World, Hillstar, Surfer and Hokko Tarumae.
Several of the high-profile also-rans didn’t put their best foot forward on
the surface, according to connections.
“Overall it wasn’t a bad race,” jockey Joao Moreira said of Military Attack.
“I got checked a few times in the race and he didn’t really enjoy the surface.”
“Maybe the surface had something to do with it,” trainer John Moore likewise
offered. “He sat back in the stalls, which he doesn’t normally do, and when he
tried to make ground, there were others in his way.
“No complaints, it’s been a great night,” Moore added, alluding to Sterling
City’s win in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.
Trainer Nicholas Bachalard believed that Ron the Greek wasn’t best suited by
the Tapeta either.
“(Jockey) Jose (Lezcano) said he was traveling well enough the first part of
it, but when he asked him to go, he didn’t pick his feet up,” Bachalard said.
“He just didn’t handle the track.”
Joseph O’Brien cited the same reason for the uncharacteristic showing by
Ruler of the World.
“I jumped and had a nice position, but as soon as we stepped it up a bit he
never let himself down at all on the surface,” the rider said. “As soon as we
stepped up the pace a little bit, I knew he wasn’t making it and in the straight
he just didn’t go.”
African Story’s first Group 1 tally advanced his record to 18-7-4-3, and the
$6 million winner’s check boosted his earnings to nearly $7.4 million.
Originally trained by Andre Fabre in France, the chestnut was fourth to
world-class distaffers Sahpresa and Moonlight Cloud in the 2011 Prix du Palais-Royal
in his first stakes attempt. He then missed by a head to Moonlight Cloud in the
Prix de la Porte Maillot and reported home third in the Prix Quincey.
African Story subsequently joined bin Suroor, for whom he developed into a
Tapeta specialist. He captured his Meydan debut in a handicap early in the 2012
Carnival, and after a closing third in the Firebreak, he turned the Burj Nahaar/Godolphin
Mile double. African Story shipped to Hong Kong for the Champions Mile, but he
didn’t show the same level of form on turf and wound up a decent sixth to
Xtension. He raced only twice at the 2013 Carnival, successfully defending his
Burj Nahaar title before his World Cup tilt. He was not seen again until the
2014 Carnival, which began with his aforementioned reverses but ended in a
glorious upset.
Bred by Darley in Great Britain, African Story is an aptly-named son of the
stakes-placed Gone West mare Blixen. His second dam is Danish, heroine of the
1994 Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup at Keeneland. That Danehill
mare is a full sister to Grade 3 victors Ace and Hawkeye, who were both multiple
Group 1-placed.
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