By Heather Anderson
Fresh off seeing his Inspiral (GB) named the 2023 Eclipse Champion Turf Female, the success keeps coming for Juddmonte's Frankel (GB), as his MEASURED TIME (GB) (c, 4, out of Minidress {GB}, by Street Cry {Ire}) surged to a good-looking victory in the AED1.85-million G1 Jebel Hatta Presented by Longines at Meydan Racecourse on Friday. It was the 34th worldwide top-level winner for Frankel.
Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby were winning their third group race of the evening after half-siblings Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) won the G2 Al Fahidi Fort and G2 Blue Point Sprint, respectively, earlier on the card. In the nightcap, Siskany (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) would take the Listed Al Khail Trophy to bring up four winners on the day for Appleby and the Godolphin blue.
The pick of William Buick despite the presence of three other Godolphin runners including G1 1000 Guineas heroine Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), the 4-year-old perched just one off and one back of that rival's shoulder for much of the Jebel Hatta's 1800-metre trip. The duo tracked fellow Godolphin runner Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for the duration, who at one point had as many as eight lengths on the field. Buick gave Measured Time his cue in upper stretch, and he soon reeled in Highland Avenue, before striding out a 1 3/4-length winner. The fourth Godolphin runner in the nine-strong field, U.S. graded winner Ottoman Fleet (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) unleashed a strong late burst to take second, three-quarters of a length in front of G2 Zabeel Mile winner San Donato (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in third. Mawj received a check near the furlong pole and dropped out of the race to finish tailed off. A post-race veterinary exam did not reveal any abnormalities, according to the stewards' report.
“I'm delighted, obviously,” said the Godolphin trainer after his first Group 1 win of 2024. “We knew it was a big step up with Mawj in there–a Classic winner and a filly we hold close to our hearts. He'll likely go straight to the Dubai Turf now.”
A winner of his first three starts last year, the first pair over the Kempton all-weather going a mile and the third a 1 1/4-mile race over the Newmarket turf, Measured Time ran second in the Listed Floodlit S. back on synthetic at Kempton in November. He broke his stakes duck with a 3 1/4-length victory in the G2 Al Rashidiya going this trip at Meydan on Dec. 22.
Pedigree Notes
The undefeated Frankel is arguably proving an even better sire than he was a racehorse, with his 136 stakes winners including a staggering 92 group/graded winners. A two-time champion sire, the bay is responsible for two Jebel Hatta winners, as he is also the father of Godolphin's 2019 winner Dream Castle (GB).
Measured Time is a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the stakes-placed Petticoat (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}). His dam was second in the Listed Height Of Fashion S., and her latest foal is a yearling by Dubawi. Minidress is a full-sister to G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy winner Volcanic Sky (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}). Second dam Short Skirt (GB) (Diktat {GB}) won the G3 Musidora S. and G3 St. Simon S. and was placed in both the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 Oaks.
Short Skirt's Machiavellian half-sister Whitewater Affair (GB), who struck in the G2 Prix de Pomone and was placed in a pair of Group 1s, is the dam of Japanese dual champion and G1 Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) among others.
Friday, Meydan, UAE
JEBEL HATTA PRESENTED BY LONGINES-G1, $1,850,000, Meydan, 1-26, 3yo/up, 9fT, 1:47.89, gd.
1–MEASURED TIME (GB), 125, c, 4, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Minidress (GB) (SP-Eng), by Street Cry (Ire)
2nd Dam: Short Skirt (GB), by Diktat (GB)
3rd Dam: Much Too Risky (GB), by Bustino (GB)
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby;
J-William Buick. AED1,110,000. Lifetime Record: SP-Eng,
6-5-1-0, $479,643. *1/2 to Petticoat (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}),
SP-Ire; and Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Hwt. UAE at
9 1/2-11f, GSW-Eng, GSW-UAE, GISW-US & Ger, $3,060,232.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ottoman Fleet (GB), 126, g, 5, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Innevera
(Fr), by Motivator (GB). (€290,000 Wlg '19 ARQDEC;
425,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-SCEA Marmion
Vauville & Alain Jathiere (GB); T-Charlie Appleby. AED370,000.
3–San Donato (Ire), 126, g, 8, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Boston Rocker
(Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (500,000gns Ylg '17 TATOCT). O-
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-J Hanly, A Stroud &
Skymarc Farm (IRE); T-Doug Watson. AED185,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, 1.
Also Ran: Spirit Dancer (GB), Silawi (Ire), Erzindjan (Ire), Highland Avenue (Ire), El Patriota (Uru), Mawj (Ire). Click for the ERA chart & video.
delivers in the Jebel Hatta presented by @Longines ⏱️
William Buick's partner shows a destructive shift of gear to readily win the Group One for @godolphin #FashionFriday | #DubaiCarnival pic.twitter.com/mWztoPBHw7
— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) January 26, 2024
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