Racing at Meydan – 05 December 2019.
➊ IBN MALIK (IRE)
➋ WAADY (IRE)
➌ BOCHART (GB)
DETAILS:
• Race: GARHOUD SPRINT (LISTED)
• Prize: AED265,000 (approx. $72,000)
• Winner: IBN MALIK
• Pedigree: Raven’s Pass – Moon’s Whisper (Storm Cat)
• Owner: HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
• Trainer: Mussabeh Al Mheiri
• Jockey: Dane O’Neill
• Official Time: 1:11.28 (1200m; Track Record: 1:10.12 – Mind Your Biscuits, 2018)
• Margin of Victory: 4.75 Lengths
LONG DESCRIPTION (RELEASE):
Dane O’Neill, Jockey, IBN MALIK (1st)—“He has been over further before, but he is a lengthener over a sprint trip rather than a quickener and they grounded out a really strong gallop early on. I followed the second horse, Waady, and my only concern was getting past him. But I knew I had a good horse underneath me and he picked up well. He had a lot of racing last year, but this year he feels a lot stronger and he is fresh and in a good place. Mussabeh said he has found a way of training this horse a bit differently this year and it is going to bring more out of him. If he can build on this and go forward, he is going to be an exciting horse.”
Mussabeh Al Mheiri, Trainer, IBN MALIK (1st)—“Every day and every time he improves. He ran on World Cup night and is a good horse. From here, we know he likes the dirt, but we will look at different Carnival races for him. I will probably keep him on the dirt next time (in the Group 3 Dubawi on Jan. 2).”
Sam Hitchcott, Jockey, WAADY (2nd)— “Fantastic run. He jumped very quick and my horse has got a lot of pace, but it felt like they were going too quick. He traveled well and it is a good improvement, a 95(-rated horse) going to a 100 (when winning in his last race). I can’t see (the handicappers) being too harsh on him. He will be able to run in handicaps now in the (DWC) Carnival, sort of 100-102. He is in good form.”
Richard Mullen, Jockey, BOCHART (3rd)—“He ran super and he got out the gate smartly. The plan was always to go forward. Walking Thunder showed a little bit too much pace and more than I did, so I was quite happy to take a sit and not let him get too much kickback. He is what he is and runs with his heart on his sleeve. He’s the kind of horse who could rock up in those Carnival sprints and pinch a check because he’s so honest. He doesn’t know when to give up.”
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
IBN MALIK gives Mussabeh Al Mheiri a double and sweep of the Listed races with a powerful win in the Garhoud Sprint sponsored by DP World. Dane O’Neill in the saddle and carrying the Shadwell Stud colours of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
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