Thursday @ Meydan - SAf interest

....or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6

Bold Silvano completes De Kock four-timer
Racing Post

Report: UAE, Thursday

Meydan: Maktoum Challenge II (Group 3) 1m1½f, AW, 4yo+

MIKE DE KOCK completed a spectacular four-timer at Meydan on Thursday when Bold Silvano recorded a comfortable victory over Spring Of Fame in the second round of the Maktoum Challenge.

The rider was completing a treble on the night at the Dubai Carnival, where he leads the rankings with five winners.

After a rare blank seven days previously, De Kock took his carnival tally to eight this year and 86 overall, second only to Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Suroor.

De Kock and Soumillon had struck with Mahbooba and Star Empire, while Kevin Shea partnered carnival stalwart Warsaw to score for the South African maestro.

Despite facing four fellow Group or Grade 1 winners, Bold Silvano was sent off 7-4 favourite for Thursday's $200,000 highlight after winning last year's Durban July, South Africa's number one race.

Always prominent in a race run at a steady clip, the four-year-old son of Silvano asserted powerfully in the straight to win by a comfortable length anda half over the race-fit Spring Of Fame under Frankie Dettori.

De Kock was delighted - and a tad surprised - at the ease of Bold Silvano's victory.

"This was the plan for his comeback but I did not expect him to win that well," he said. "The World Cup is his target and he was probably 85 per cent tonight but Christophe gave him a great ride.

"We will be back on Super Thursday for the third leg and he clearly handles the Tapeta."

Outpaced at halfway when the pace quickened, South American star Interaction and Dubai Duty Free winner Al Shemali both stayed on to battle for third place, but Gitano Hernando tabled a puzzling effort for Marco Botti.

Dropped out last, he was switched out wide in the straight and looked sure to play a hand before his effort petered out and he finished fifth.

Mahbooba turns the tables in Guineas - as expected

Meydan: UAE 1,000 Guineas (Listed) 1m, AW, 3yo fillies

MIKE DE KOCK filled a significant gap on his Dubai Carnival cv when Mahbooba (Christophe Soumillon) provided the first leg of his four-timer by leading home a one-two for the South African trainer in the UAE 1,000 Guineas.

The daughter of Galileo, a Grade 1 winner as a juvenile in South Africa, was widely expected to turn around last month'sform with stablemate Reem, who was getting weight when beating Mahbooba half a length under an excellent pace-making ride from Pat Cosgrave in the UAE Guineas Trial.

This time, Mahbooba was racing at levels over a furlong further and made no mistake, pulling away impressively in the final furlong to justify odds-on favouritism by three and three-quarter lengths.

Reem was again the biggest threat in this $250,000 contest, easily mastering pace rival Abtasaamah before Cosgrave kicked on in the straight.

Mahbooba, ridden much closer to the front this time, did not pick up her stablemate straight away but she was doing her best work in the closing stages and won comfortably.

"We will go for the Oaks now and who knows, maybe the Derby as we did with Raihana last year," De Kock said.

Chocolicious took third for Ryan Moore and Herman Brown, but after winning the thoroughbred opener with Lord Of The Stars, Britain did not fare too well here as Amica and Crying Lightening filled the last two places.

Star Empire another for De Kock and Soumillon

MIKE DE KOCK and Christophe Soumillon struck again when Star Empire won a competitive 1m4½f turf handicap at Meydan.

Close to the front was the place to be as Calvados Blues was allowed to set a pedestrian gallop in a race full of stayingtypes like German Derby winner Buzzword and Queen's Vase hero Mikhail Glinka.

Sent off 7-4 favourite after catching the eye on his Meydan debut a fortnight ago, Star Empire tracked the leader on Buzzword's inner before being produced to challenge between horses under an active Soumillon in the final furlong.

He scored by a quarter of a length over 20-1 shot Calvados Blues, who had the run of the race with Peligroso in third.

Last-to-first win for carnival stalwart Warsaw

WITH Christophe Soumillon riding the better-fancied Solid Choice, Kevin Shea broke his 2011 carnival duck when Warsaw (Kevin Shea) landed a last-to-first victory for the dominant De Kock in the 7f turf handicap.

Settled last off a decent pace, Warsaw came home strongly to grab the favourite Quick Wit inside the final furlong under Shea, landing his 35th carnival success.

Watch the race (tu)

www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/m-f...timer/815081/latest/

De Kock ready to unleash Zanzamar and Musir
Racing Post

MIKE de Kock dominated last week's Dubai Carnival card with four winners and he looks sure to provide another hot favourite this week when Zanzamar contests the UAE 2,000 Guineas at Meydan.

The South African is seeking a fifth victory in the 1m Group 3 Tapeta contest - and he is also likely to run last year's winner Musir in the Listed Firebreak Stakes on the same card.

Musir went on to win the UAE Derby last year, as did previous De Kock winners Victory Moon and Honour Devil, while his other winner Asiatic Boy also won the Al Bastikiya to become the only horse ever to win the UAE Triple Crown in 2007.

Zanzamar comes here having won the Classic prep race three weeks ago - and for once the opposition from Godolphin's Saeed Bin Suroor isn't numerically strong, as he has only $1.2million yearling Buffum among the entries.

On international ratings, Paulinho is a bigger danger but the Herman Brown-trained representative, a Group 1 winner in his native Argentina, was beaten in a conditions race on his UAE debut by Energia Carioca, unsighted at Meydan last week.

Clive Brittain is set to saddle Autumn Stakes winner Abjer, who has placed form on the Lingfield Polytrack.

The Firebreak Stakes, also over 1m on Tapeta, is the main support race and has attracted a mammoth 37 entries.

Only 14 can run and Musir is set to face a stern test in what promises to be one of the races of the carnival. Also due to run is Dubai Duty Free runner-up Bankable, Godolphin Grade 1 winner Gayego and Dandy Boy, already a carnival winner this year for Ireland.

MDK was also on Winning Ways last night.

Race 1 - AW 1400m - 95-105 Handicap $110k
(1) Atlantic Sport (USA) - de Kock/Shea [105/57.5]
(7) Nocturnal Affair (SAf) - Brown/Moore [104/57.0]
(13) Clearly Silver (SAf) - de Kock/Soumillon [101/56.0]

Race 2 - AW 2200m - 100-110 Handicap $120k
(1) King Of Rome (Ire) - de Kock/Shea [107/58.0]
(2) Hunting Tower (SAf) - de Kock/Soumillon [105/57.0]

Race 3 - AW 1900m - 95-105 Handicap $110k
(1) Golden Sword (GB ) - de Kock/Soumillon [105/58.0]
(9) Wonder Lawn (SAf) - de Kock/Shea [101/56.5]

Race 4 - Turf 1000m - 100+ Handicap $175k
(7) Noble Heir (SAf) - Brown/Bentley [104/56.0]

Race 5 - AW 1600m - Listed Firebreak Stakes $175k
(2) Bankable (Ire) - Brown/Moore [116/57.0]
(3) Imbongi (SAf) - de Kock/Shea [113/57.0]
(5) Frosty Secret (USA) - de Kock/Fayd'Herbe [106/57.0]
(13) Musir (Aus) - de Kock/Soumillon [117/57.0]

Race 6 - AW 1600m - Gr3 UAE 2000 Guineas $250k
(2) Abstrato (Brz) - de Kock/Shea [85/59.0]
(4) Paulinho (Arg) - Brown/Moore [109/59.0]
(7) Zanzamar (SAf) - de Kock/Hills [104/59.0]

Race 7 - Turf 1800m - 95+ Handicap $150k
(1) Irish Flame (SAf) - de Kock/Shea [119/60.0]
(3) Raihana (Aus) - de Kock/Soumillon [110/56.0]
(11) Jet Express (SAf) - Al Raihe/Ffrench [102/53.0]
(12) Le Drakkar (Aus) - bin Huzaim/Lemaire [102/53.0]

Bankable (tu)

Johnny Murtagh set to make Meydan debut

JOHNNY MURTAGH, who left his role as number one jockey to Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore in November, is set to make his Meydan debut on Thursday.

Murtagh, who was champion jockey in the UAE when attached to Dhruba Selvaratnam in the 1993-94 season, has been absent from the Dubai Carnival in recent years given his ex-employer's stance over running their horses there.

He rides Iver Bridge Lad for John Ryan and the Michael Dods-trained pair Sweet Lightning and Rain Delayed.

Murtagh, who rode carnival stalwart Asiatic Boy in the last Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba in 2009, will be retained by the Aga Khan to ride his Irish-based horses this year.

scotia Wrote:

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> Bankable (tu)

You like living on the edge, do you? Talented horse, but like I've said before he is a bit of a monkey.

magiclips Wrote:

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> scotia Wrote:
>

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>

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> > Bankable (tu)
>
> You like living on the edge, do you? Talented
> horse, but like I've said before he is a bit of a
> monkey.

Monkey: .. Bankable or Scotia:D

Both, but want a sorry if it comes home smokin -

While on the subject of Meydan, I have to make a quick dash over to Amsterdam on Friday and on my return have decided to stay at the Jumeirah Meydan Hotel which is on the track. I will be attending the race meeting on Thursday next week and am looking forward to it. If possible, I will sure post you guys somes pictures from the track and information.


Cheers
Anthony G