NEWS
Mendip completes another Challenge (w/ video)
Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2012 2:02 PM
MENDIP WINS MAKTOUM CHALLENGE ROUND 2
Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club photo
by Frank Angst
Mendip rallied from near the back of the field of 11 to post a clear victory in the $250,000 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 sponsored by Dubai (UAE-G2) (video) on Thursday at Meydan.
It marked the second time in his career that Mendip has won a Maktoum Challenge race as the five-year-old Harlan’s Holiday horse won last year’s Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 sponsored by Longines (UAE-G3).
Racing for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Mendip completed the 1,900-meter (9.44-furlong) race for older horses in 1:56.42, besting runner-up Haatheq by 1¼ lengths. Master of Hounds finishing third, a length behind Haatheq. Mendip is trained by Saeed bin Suroor and was guided to victory by Kieren Fallon.
In U.S. pari-mutuel pools, Mendip returned $17.60 for the win.
In the $250,000 United Arab Emirates 2,000 Guineas (UAE-G3) (video), Godolphin Racing’s Kinglet secured the first stakes win of his career when the three-year-old son of Kingmambo passed five horses in the stretch to post a quarter-length victory over runner-up Mickdaam. Trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni and ridden by Mickael Barzalona, Kinglet, the 3-to-2 favorite in U.S. pools, completed the 1,600-meter (7.95-furlong) race in 1:37.72.
A winner of two of four races last year in England, Kinglet entered off a runner-up finish to Australia-bred Dark Matter in a January 12 allowance race at Meydan. Dark Matter finished off the board in Thursday’s race. Kinglet was bred in Kentucky by Darley.
In the $200,000 Firebreak Stakes (UAE-G3) (video), Godolphin Racing’s Sandagiyr earned the first group stakes win of his career when the four-year-old Dr Fong colt unleashed a sustained rally from mid-pack to post a quarter-length victory over Tamaathul. Racing last year for his breeder, the Aga Khan, Sandagiyr won the 2011 Prix de Pontarme at Chantilly.
Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Al, San Jose, CA on February 10, 2012 at 10:31 PM
I don't know if anyone saw Fallon's post race comments after he won the Al Maktoum Challenge Rd. 2 or not? But he was quoted as saying, "I've ridden some really good horses at Meydan over the past 3 years. But I don't know if I've ridden a horse as good as Mendip is on the tapeta main track? Mendip is scary good on that surface, and I'd love to have the mount on that horse in this year's Dubai World Cup." End quote. Strong words from a world class jockey. Other than when Ted Durcan rode Mendip when he broke his maiden first time out on the all-weather at Kempton in the UK back in September, 2009, no other jockey had ever ridden Mendip in any of his races in Dubai but Frankie Dettori until Fallon got the mount in this race. I found it really surprising that Dettori abandoned Mendip in this race for the mount on Dubai Prince knowing how good Mendip has been on that tapeta surface.
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Posted by: hansenlover!, horseland, IL on February 10, 2012 at 02:07 PM
John you totally write the best comments! And what a beautiful horse Mendip is! Great horse!
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Posted by: John, Somerset, KY on February 09, 2012 at 04:44 PM
Kieren Fallon gave Mendip a beautifully timed, beautifully executed ride to win the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Rd. 2. It was like seeing the difference between daylight and dark how Mendip looked this time compared to his sluggish 4th place finish in the G3 Al Maktoum Challenge nearly a month ago. He quite possibly just needed that first race coming back to Dubai off of nearly a year lay-off? According to Godolphin, the hesitancy about racing Mendip in last year's G1 Dubai World Cup was always about the distance. Which is why he landed in the G1 Dubai Duty Free over 9f instead. In what is still Mendip's only career start on turf. Kieren Fallon proved today that properly ridden, the 10f trip in the Dubai World Cup won't be an issue for Mendip at all. This race was over 9-1/2f on tapeta, and Fallon still had a ton of horse under him when ask Mendip to go in the stretch. This was a very deep field for this race, too. A much deeper field than Allybar beat in this same race at Meydan in 2010, and deeper than Bold Silvano beat in this race at Meydan in 2011. Finishing behind Mendip in this race were the likes of Haatheq, Master of Hounds, Biondetti, Richard's Kid, and Dubai Prince, to name a few. IMO, Godolphin are out of their minds if they don't give Mendip a shot at this year's Dubai World Cup? He's the best horse they have in their stable on the tapeta surface, and top to bottom, may be the best horse I've seen on just that one surface in the 3 years now that the Dubai Carnival has been raced at the new Meydan facility. TJMO.
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