Dubai: Mubtaahij, a product of the formidable Mike de Kock stables, has been handed the chance to emulate the famed South African handler’s UAE Derby-winning hero Musir, after posting an impressive victory in the UAE 1,000 Guineas Trial at Meydan on Thursday night.
Ridden by Dane O’Neill, the son of Dubawi answered his rider’s call at the 500 metre marker and sprinted clear of stable companion Ajwad and the much-fancied Godolphin contender Maftool, to post a compelling five-length victory.
It was only two weeks ago that Mubtaahij was winning his Maiden at Meydan on New Year’s Eve and he looked to have improved in leaps and bounds when stepping up to Group level.
“I didn’t expect Mubtaahij to have so much gas in this race. He’s a smart horse, he’s by Dubawi and is suited to dirt,” said De Kock. “I like Dane as a rider and he’s done the job.
“Mubtaahij does look like a real Triple Crown contender [but] I felt that given the dirt, as things are, it is good to give horses experience,” said De Kock. “With threse Triple Crown races you’ve got to be hard and really fit and knocking going into them.
“He’s a horse I might do the same as I did with Musir; leave out the Al Bastikaya and go [2,000] Guineas [G3, Feb 12] leading into the UAE Derby [G2, March 28].
Commenting on the runner-up Ajwad, ridden by De Kock’s retained Carnival rider Christophe Soumillion, who held off Maftool in the final strides, De Kock said: “Ajwad ran a huge race, he was underdone and needed the run, so he’ll improve nicely.”
Maftool, a 20-1 chance for this year’s Guineas at Newmarket, England, lost the race at the gates when making a sluggish start.
James Doyle was forced to play catch-up aboard the Group 3 Tattersall Stakes winner in the first couple of furlongs, but as a result used up a lot of gas which cost him dearly in the end.
Bin Surour took the defeat in his stride and said: “He’s a young horse and will improve for that run. This year he’s improved physically and has a good turn of foot. He will go to the Guineas.”
Doyle added: “It was a good run by Maftool. I must have missed the break by five lengths and he has been beaten five lengths.
“I have also given away a load of ground when trying to keep him out of the kickback. He came home well and had a good blow so the race will bring him on.
“A furlong further in the UAE 2000 Guineas will be spot on.”
Earlier in the UAE 1,000 Guineas Trial Bin Surour’s Local Time narrowled got the better of De Kock’s Argentine-bred Ad Idem, scoring by a short-head in the shadow of the post.
Doyle commented: “I knew that Local Time was tough. I had ridden her a couple of times before, including when winning the Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket. She really learned how to battle that day and is definitely a grinder.
“It was her first time on this surface and she had to adapt a little bit. [But] once she got her act together, she picked up well. She goes on the dirt, no problem.
“I think that this race will put her spot on for the UAE 1000 Guineas [Feb 5], she is small but tough.”
However, the highlight of the night was the comeback victory of the nine-year-old gelding Reynaldothewizard in the Listed Dubawi Stakes over 1,200m.
Trainer Satish Seemar, who is widely admired for his work with older horses, saw his stable star notch a first victory since the 2013 Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1).
“He’s a horse that needs to be lightly raced and we might only look at a Super Saturday outing before going back to the Dubai Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup day,” said the Zabeel Stables handler.
Local trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe and Doug Watson also enjoyed a share of the pickings with La Bernardin and Layl respectively.
The next Carnival meeting at Meydan takes place on January 22.
