By Tom Frary
For a long time denied a fair crack in the luck department, Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) made up for much of the lost time when rewarding market confidence in style in Ascot's G2 Betfred Summer Mile on Saturday. Badly hampered and finishing full of running when seventh in the G1 Queen Anne S. on the straight track at the Royal meeting June 16, the 2-1 favourite was a touch free early for Dane O'Neill with his rider at pains to restrain his enthusiasm halfway down the field. Unleashed in the straight, the bay hit the front a furlong from home and surged clear for an authoritative 3 3/4-length success from San Donato (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), with Duke of Hazzard (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) a neck behind in third.
“I thought it was a solid-looking group two and he's won it with a lot in hand to suggest he gets the mile really well,” trainer Marcus Tregoning commented. “Hopefully, we'll get a group one or two with him, if we're clever. We should be able to do it. It's very exciting for everybody and a big boost for us. It hasn't been easy, but luckily he's got a very good owner. Sheikh Hamdan is so patient and so good to train for. I just have to worry about getting the horse to the races in tip-top order and we managed it today. We've got a good horse here and he's going to be aimed at the top mile races like the [G1] Sussex. We'll probably go to Goodwood.”
Mohaather had Classic pretensions last Spring after wins in Newbury's G3 Horris Hill S. and G3 Greenham S., but injury intervened and he was having his first start subsequently when fifth in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. also on the straight course here in October. Beaten five lengths in that contest and the same margin in the Queen Anne, he had a question mark over him on stamina grounds but any doubts can now be silenced with this emphatic display.
There were obvious clues as to whether Mohaather would stay this far in his immediate pedigree, being a full-brother to Prize Exhibit (GB) who took the GII San Clemente H., GIII Megahertz S. and GIII Senorita S. at the trip as well as the 6 1/2-furlong GII Monrovia S. She was sold to Barronstown Stud for 775,000gns at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares Sale and is also a half to the stakes-placed Harbour Master (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) and Roodle (GB) (Xaar {GB}) whose son Accidental Agent (GB) (Delegator {GB}) provided a shock in the 2018 G1 Queen Anne S. here. The family also includes the G1 Prix Morny runner-up Gallagher (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}), the G2 Gimcrack S. scorer Bannister (GB) (Inchinor {GB}), the G1 Middle Park S. hero Astaire (Ire) (Intense Focus) and the G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Dead Certain (GB) (Absalom {GB}).
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
BETFRED SUMMER MILE S.-G2, £60,000, Ascot, 7-11, 4yo/up, 7f 213yT, 1:39.53, gd.
1–MOHAATHER (GB), 127, c, 4, by Showcasing (GB)
1st Dam: Roodeye (GB) (SP-Eng), by Inchinor (GB)
2nd Dam: Roo (GB), by Rudimentary
3rd Dam: Shall We Run (GB), by Hotfoot (GB)
(110,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Mrs R F Johnson Houghton (GB); T-Marcus Tregoning; J-Dane O'Neill. £34,026. Lifetime Record: 7-4-1-0, $170,007. *Full to Prize Exhibit (GB), MGSW & GISP-US, GSP-Eng, $697,375; and 1/2 to Harbour Master (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), SP-US, $125,511. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–San Donato (Ire), 127, c, 4, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Boston Rocker (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (500,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-J Hanly, A Stroud & Skymarc Farm (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £12,900.
3–Duke of Hazzard (Fr), 127, c, 4, Lope de Vega (Ire)–With Your Spirit (Fr), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (€130,000 Ylg '17 ARAUG). O-Mrs Fitri Hay; B-Runnymede Farm Inc & C W Clay (FR); T-Paul & Oliver Cole. £6,456.
Margins: 3 3/4, NK, 3/4. Odds: 2.00, 14.00, 16.00.
Also Ran: Lord Glitters (Fr), Urban Icon (GB), Zaaki (GB), Skardu (GB), Bless Him (Ire), Marie's Diamond (Ire), Lord Tennyson (GB), Beat Le Bon (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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