By Heather Anderson
Godolphin seeks their fifth edition of the 1600-metre G2 Cape Verdi at Meydan Thursday evening and their Very Special (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) will attempt to defend her title. A winner of the G2 Balanchine in her next start stretched to 1800 metres Mar. 3, the Saeed bin Suroor trainee found the G1 Dubai Turf on World Cup night a bridge too far and settled for sixth that day. She returned to Europe and performed with credit in her lone start since, running second to Alice Springs (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in Newmarket's one-mile G1 Falmouth S. July 8.
“Very Special won twice here in Dubai last year and has been working very well,” said bin Suroor, who has won three editions of the Group 2. “She is a tough mare of whom we expect a big run, as she proved herself competitive in Group 1 company last year.”
The hot-handed Mike De Kock and jockey Christophe Soumillon unite with Tahanee (Arg) (Stormy Atlantic) and could prove the main threat to Very Special. A MGSW in her native land for Los Criollos and trainer Roberto Pellegatta in San Isidro's G3 Omega last June and G3 Eudoro J. Balsa a month later, Tahanee wrapped up her South American career with a third-place run in the G3 Premio Ricardo P. Sauze Aug. 19. Purchased by Mohd Khaleel Ahmed and transferred to De Kock, she was hampered in her Meydan bow in a handicap going 1600 metres over good turf Jan. 12.
“She is a very nice filly who enjoyed no luck at all on her first start,” said De Kock. “With a clear run we think she would have nearly won that day, but Thursday is a lot tougher race and probably the strongest renewal of the Cape Verdi I can remember. Tahanee will run well I am sure, but Godolphin's Very Special is going to be hard to beat.”
Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum's Muffri'Ha (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) is riding a three-race win streak and has definite upside Thursday. An Oct. 1 handicap winner at Newmarket, the William Haggas charge stepped up with a 1 1/2-length win in the G3 Goldophin Stud And Stable Staff Awards Darley S. going 1 1/8 miles there just seven days later. She made it three on the bounce in Lingfield's all-weather Listed Fleur De Lys Fillies' S. Oct. 27.
Silver Step (Fr) (Silver Frost {Ire}), who lifted the Sept. 25 G3 Premio Elena e Sergio Cumani, could also be a factor for Pia Brandt and owner Nils-Petter Gill, but she faces much stiffer competition here.
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