Mike de Kock lands sixth Al Rashidiya with Mujaarib-Mushreq
Mujaarib made his debut a winning one despite a lengthy absence of 253 days and clinched a double for a surprised Mike de Kock and Christophe Soumillon.
Mujaarib: gave Mike de Kock a third straight success in the Al Rashidiya
Dubai Racing Club/Andrew Watkins
Mujaarib, won the Gr2 November Handicap and was placed in the Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes in 2013 at his last start.
His win gave De Kock a third straight success in the Al Rashidiya, and sixth wins overall.
The race is regarded as a stepping stone to the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free at the same distance on Dubai World Cup night, March 29.
De Kock, who trains the winner and runner-up for Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: “I’m as surprised as anyone – I did not think he could win.
“He’s had a lot of problems in his life but Sheikh Hamdan has been very patient. Mushreq was probably a bit unlucky he didn’t get out but we’ll take that with both hands.”
“He’s a smart horse but we felt he’d improve for the run. Mushreq was a little unlucky in that he didn’t get out but we’ll take the result and grab it with two hands.”
After a false start caused by some of the stalls failing to open, Steeler and Maputo took the field along at something of a crawl and there was plenty of trouble in running in a rough race as runners tried to engineer some room in the sprint for home.
Soumillon steered a wide course on Mujaarib which the Trakus timing system in use at Meydan indicated had led to him covering a full eight metres more than Mushreq.
Godolphin’s Certify remains unbeaten in a facile comeback victory in Group 2 Cape Verdi
The eagerly awaited reappearance of Godolphin’s Certify, winner of the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile as a juvenile when last seen in 2012, was an impressive one with the now four-year-old proving far too good for five rivals in the Group 2 $200,000 Cape Verdi Stakes.
Mickael Barzalona, oozing confidence on the filly, was content to take his time for the first 1200m in the fillies and mares contest at Meydan. It was during the final 400m of the 1600m race that the pair made their relentless progress to the wining post, quickening away from four rivals without Barzalona picking up the whip. She was always going to catch eventual runner-up, L’Amour De Ma Vie.
The winner is now unbeaten after five starts and winning trainer, Charlie Appleby said: “We always thought she was very good and she did that in the style of a classy filly. It is great to see she retains that ability she showed at two.
“Hopefully, she can go on to justify the ultra high regard in which we have always held her.”
