With only one black-type start to his name resulting in a Group 2 placing, Shadwell's 5-year-old gelding Alfareeq (Ire) became the latest Group 1 winner for his sire Dark Angel (Ire) in the Jebel Hatta, gifting his local trainer Musabeh Al Mheiri an important victory on Super Saturday at Meydan.
There was a late defection from the original 15-strong line-up when Godolphin's Barney Roy (Ire) was withdrawn but the field also included last year's winner, the hugely popular Lord Glitters (Fr) (Whipper), who came into the race on the back of a last-start win in the G2 Singspiel S.
The outsider Ursa Minor (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was swift from the gates to tussle for the early lead with Freescape (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) and Finest Sound (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), who then took it up to play a dominant role almost throughout. Coasting along the straight in the hands of Dane O'Neill the grey Alfareeq grabbed the rail after cruising past the tiring Freescape and then strode on up Finest Sound's inner to win by a length.
Giving Simon and Ed Crisford and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid a second runner-up finish on the card following Without A Fight in the G2 Dubai City Of Gold, Finest Sound held on for second, with the 85-rated Ursa Minor posting the performance of his career to take third. With O'Neill in the saddle for Shadwell, Jim Crowley was able to take the ride on Sir Busker (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), who finished fourth on his second Meydan start this year. Lord Glitters, held up in his customary style towards the rear of the field, took some time to find room after straightening for home and, though running on strongly, had been given too hard a task to claw back the leaders. He finished sixth, just behind the Marco Botti-trained Felix (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
A Shadwell homebred who was previously trained in France by Freddy Head, Alfraeeq was last seen finishing second to Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G2 Zabeel Mile and had been fractious at the start that day. Prior to that he had won at Abu Dhabi in December following a nine-month break since his previous success at Meydan.
Currently enjoying an excellent season in the UAE and notching his second Group 1 victory after the G1 Commonwealth Cup success of Muhaarar (GB), winning jockey Dane O'Neill said, “He had to behave in the stalls but everything went smoothly from the start. We had a good position and he ran a big race. The pace suited us because we kind of stalked, I wouldn't say a sedate gallop but certainly a slower one than would have suited others, and we took advantage of that.”
He added, “When things drop right for this horse and you ride him cold early and fill him up then he shows a good turn of foot. That's the key to him, just get him cold, switch him off, and he has a really good turn of foot.”
Pedigree notes
Alfareeq is the first foal and sole winner to date of his dam Urjuwaan (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who beat subsequent Prix du Jockey Club winner New Bay (GB) when breaking her maiden as a 2-year-old over a mile at Chantilly. A half-sister to the G3 Prix Noailles winner Raseed, the 10-year-old Urjuwaan was sold to Blandford Bloodstock for 65,000gns at the recent December Mares' Sale at Tattersalls when in foal to Ribchester (Ire). She had been barren to Night Of Thunder (Ire) the previous season. The mare's grand-dam Wissal (Woodman) was a half-sister to the champion miler Bahri (Riverman). The further family also includes last year's G1 Golden Shaheen runner-up Matera Sky (Speightstown).
Alfrareeq is the tenth Group 1 winner for Yeomanstown Stud's Dark Angel.
Saturday, Meydan, Middle East
JEBEL HATTA (SPONSORED BY EMIRATES AIRLINE)-G1, $350,000, Meydan, 3-5, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1800mT, 1:48.89, gd.
1–ALFAREEQ (IRE), 126, g, 5, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Urjuwaan (GB), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Sudoor (GB), by Fantastic Light
3rd Dam: Wissal, by Woodman
1ST STAKES WIN. O-Shadwell; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd
(IRE); T-Musabbeh Al Mheiri; J-Dane O'Neill. $210,000.
Lifetime Record: 17-4-3-3, $332,539. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Finest Sound (Ire), 126, g, 5, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–
Amplifier (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid
Al Maktoum (IRE); T-Simon & Ed Crisford. $70,000.
3–Ursa Minor (Ire), 126, g, 5, Sea the Stars (Ire)–Kincob, by
Kingmambo. O-Hamdan Harmash; B-Airlie Stud (IRE); T-Ahmad
bin Harmash. $35,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, 1. Also Ran: Sir Busker (Ire), Felix (GB), Lord Glitters (Fr), Kick On (GB), Freescape (GB), Highland Avenue (Ire), Zakouski (GB), Land Of Legends (Ire), Lucius Tiberius (Ire), Military Style, King David (Den). Scratched: Barney Roy (GB).
Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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