By Heather Anderson
After missing by a neck to future G1 Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in this race in 2018, North America (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) scored a convincing 2 1/4-length win in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 on Thursday. Recent handicap winner New Trails (Medaglia d'Oro) filled the place spot in the 1900-metre $450,000 feature.
Away to an easy lead past the grandstand, the bay was allowed to do his own thing under a motionless Richard Mullen, and covered the first half-mile in :50.54. He put some daylight on his rivals on the far turn and gave every indication of strolling home a double-digit winner. However, New Trails made a late move to cut into that margin inside the final 200 metres and Mullen only used hands and heels on the Satish Seemar trainee on the way to the line. Cosmo Charlie (Stay Thirsty) was another 4 3/4 lengths back in third.
“He is a bit like his jockey, improving with age,” said Mullen of the 7-year-old gelding. “A lot was made out of his [dominant] first run and it is hard for a horse to replicate what he did. Yes, he was visibly impressive and I always had it in the back of my mind that I thought he would win this race, but I didn't think he would do it in the manner in which he did. It is very hard for a horse to back that up. A lot of it was freshness and a lot of it was obviously adrenaline.”
Added Seemar, “The thing is, he did it his style and that's what is important for this horse, the way he just jumped out and went on his way. Richie didn't even touch him and he was doing it on his own. Richie, even though he knew horses were coming, he and the horse knew they could take another stride and [hold them off]. It was exactly what we wanted. We have time now and we may or may not go for the [$600,000 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3] on Super Saturday.”
A winner of the 2017 G3 Firebreak S. locally, the 7-year-old gelding ran 10th in the G2 Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night later that year. Filling the frame with a third in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 last January, he was just a neck behind subsequent G1 Dubai World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) in the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 and earned his first Group 1 tally in the Al Maktoum Challenge R3 on Mar. 10. Unplaced in the Dubai World Cup after a slow beginning at the end of the month, he drubbed his rivals by nine lengths in the Jan. 10 Al Maktoum Challenge R1 last time.
Pedigree Notes…
Darley veteran Dubawi has sired 38 Group 1 winners of which North America is one, while his total stakes winners sits at 163, 105 of them at the group level. The latest produce of GI Hollywood Starlet third Northern Mischief, a half-sister to champion older mare and three-time Grade I winner Gourmet Girl (Cee's Tizzy), has a yearling colt by Dandy Man (Ire) and was bred back to Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Thursday, Meydan, Middle East
AL MAKTOUM CHALLENGE R2 (SPONSORED BY AL NABOODAH ALLIED PRODUCTS DIVISION)-G2, $450,000, Meydan, 2-7, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 1900m, 1:58.65, ft.
1–NORTH AMERICA (GB), 126, g, 7, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Northern Mischief (GISP, $123,918),
by Yankee Victor
2nd Dam: Rhondaling (GB), by Welsh Pageant (Fr)
3rd Dam: Touch of Class (Fr), by Luthier (Fr)
(100,000gns Wlg '12 TATNOV). O-Ramzan Kadyrov; B-Qatar
Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Satish Seemar; J-Richard Mullen.
$270,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-UAE, 17-7-3-2, $1,047,017.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A.
2–New Trails, 126, g, 5, Medaglia d'Oro–Issaqueena, by Mr.
Prospector. O-Hamdan Sultan Ali Alsabousi; B-Darley (KY);
T-Ahmad bin Harmash. $90,000.
3–Cosmo Charlie, 126, g, 5, Stay Thirsty–Lake Como, by Salt
Lake. ($85,000 Ylg '15 FTKJUL). O-Ramzan Kadyrov; B-Roger S
Braugh Jr (KY); T-Doug Watson. $45,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 4 3/4, 1 1/4.
Also Ran: Senior Investment, Etijaah, Second Summer. Scratched: Leshlaa.
Click for the DRC video.
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