By Alan Carasso
Winless since taking out Round 1 of the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge going this track's 1600 metres way back in January 2021 and second in this race the year prior, Military Law (Ire) (g, 9, Dubawi {Ire}–Marine Bleue {Ire}, by Desert Prince {Ire}) led home a 1-2 finish for his legendary sire in Saturday's G2 Al Maktoum Classic, besting a valiant Walk of Stars (Ire) by a length on the wire.
Content on taking a chasing role as Aldous Huxley (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) was hard-ridden to set fast early sections in advance of Quip (Distorted Humor), Military Law settled in fourth position, with Walk of Stars just ahead of him and to his inside in the run down the back of the track. Aldous Huxley had run his race with the better part of 800 metres left to travel, and Military Law was first to make a move, as Oscar Chavez decisively sent him to the front at the far corner of the track. So as not to get trapped down inside of a rallying Clapton (Brethren), Tadhg O'Shea angled Walk of Stars off the inside and into the three path, with Military Law the target as the field turned into the straight. The veteran pinched a bit of a break and though Walk of Stars kept battling to the death, he couldn't quite reel in Military Law. Clapton, drawn three and a horse that prefers to race in clear air, was trapped inside and midfield early before improving into the first four nearing the turn. Pulled out wide to deliver his challenge, he appeared to have every chance when push came to shove, but just failed to finish off his race and settled for third.
“I wasn't expecting this at all!” said Chavez after his biggest Thoroughbred winner in Dubai. “He jumped a little bit awkward, but then he put himself in the race and once he got to the straight he really had momentum and at the 800 [metres] he gave me a big kick and I just let him roll.”
Chavez has ridden successfully in a variety of jurisdictions, including Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. He won last year's Dubai Kahayla Classic for Purebred Arabians aboard Hayyan (Fr).
“Winning a race tonight is so fantastic; I'm happy to be on him today and to ride in the World Cup would be something extra.”
Well-beaten in this race last year, Military Law was having his fourth run this prep, having finished seventh in handicap company Nov. 24 before narrowly missing in the Listed Entisar S. over track and trip Dec. 22. The bay was exiting a sixth, beaten 7 3/4 lengths by Kabirkhan (California Chrome) in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Jan. 26. The latter is training up to the G1 Dubai World Cup, in which Military Law secured a berth with Saturday's victory.
Pedigree Notes
One of countless of his sire's offspring to strike over the Dubai dirt, Military Law–who was bought back on a bid of 900,000gns at Tattersalls October in 2016–is a half-brother to French listed winner Marina Piccola (Ire) (Halling), the dam of G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin and HH The Amir Trophy hero French King (GB) (French Fifteen {Fr}) and the latter's G3 Prix d'Hedouville-winning full-brother Mutabahi (Fr). Military Law's full-brother Wednaan (GB) was third in the 2014 G3 UAE 2000 Guineas.
A Group 3 winner in Germany, Marine Bleue is also responsible for Qatar Racing's Tiptoe (GB) (Lightning Spear {GB}), a maiden winner at second asking at Wolverhampton last October, and her last listed produce is a 2-year-old full-sister to Tiptoe.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
AL MAKTOUM CLASSIC SPONSORED BY EMIRATES AIRLINE-G2, AED1,700,000, Meydan, 3-2, 3yo/up, 9 1/2f, 1:58.07, fs.
1–MILITARY LAW (GB), 126, g, 9, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Marine Bleue (Ire) (GSW-Ger, SW-Fr, GSP-Ity,
$137,413), by Desert Prince (Ire)
2nd Dam: Mirina (Fr), by Pursuit of Love (GB)
3rd Dam: Mirea, by The Minstrel
(900,000 RNA Ylg '16 TAOCT; 110,000gns HRA '19 TATJUL).
O-Nasir Askar; B-Qatar Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Musabbeh Al
Mheiri; J-Oscar Chavez. AED1,020,000. Lifetime Record: 20-6-
4-0, AED2,345,580. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Walk Of Stars (GB), 126, g, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Sound Reflection,
by Street Cry (Ire). (EAD1,200,000 HRA '23 ERAAPR). O-Athbah
Racing; B-Godolphin (GB); T-Bhupat Seemar. AED280,000.
3–Clapton, 126, h, 5, Brethren–Alexandra Rylee, by Afleet Alex.
($35,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $20,000 2yo '21 OBSJUN).
O-RRR Racing; B-Arindel (FL); T-Chad Summers. AED140,000.
Margins: 1, 3HF, 7.
Also Ran: Ajuste Fiscal (Uru), Desert Wisdom (GB), Nevershow Weakness, Remorse (Ire), Made In Dubai, Aldous Huxley (Ire), Franz Strauss (GB), Secret Victory (GB), Quip, Moro Do Kentucky (Brz). Click for the ERA chart and video.
#7 MILITARY LAW (GB) gained the lead on the final turn and held off #13 Walk of Stars to win Meydan's G2 Al Maktoum Classic.
The 9-year-old son of @DarleyEurope's Dubawi (Ire) was ridden by Oscar Chavez for trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri and Naser Askar. pic.twitter.com/r5QZVfOiMW
— TVG (@TVG) March 2, 2024
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