Ihtimal Shines in Classic Double
IHTIMAL SHINES IN CLASSIC DOUBLE
Godolphin’s Ihtimal (Ire) (Shamardal) took her UAE Classic record to two-for-two with a dominating display in yesterday’s G3 UAE Oaks, and in the process solidified her credentials for the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket May 4. An authoritative 3 1/4 length winner of the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas Feb. 6, Ihtimal outdid that effort with a sparkling 10-length score yesterday. Traveling midpack early behind moderate splits, jockey Silvestre de Sousa made a bold move aboard Ihtimal approaching the turn, placing his filly in a prominent third while three-wide. It was clear that Ihtimal was full of run approaching the quarter pole, and she exploded off the turn, distancing herself from the field under minimal urging from de Sousa to post a record winning margin. It was the ninth victory in this race for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “I’m very happy,” bin Suroor told PA Sport. “Every time she runs she shows some class. When she won the Guineas, we decided to run her in this race. It looked easy tonight for her, but as for future plans, we’ll see how she comes back, then we’ll talk to Sheikh Mohammed and he will decide. She has the class and the trip suited her tonight.”
Thursday, Meydan, Dubai
UAE OAKS (SPONSORED BY SAEED & MOHAMMED AL NABOODAH GROUP)-G3, $250,000, MEY, 2-27, NH & SH 3yo, f, 1900m (AWT), 1:58.51, ft.
1–IHTIMAL (IRE), 121, f, 3, by Shamardal
1st Dam: Eastern Joy (GB), by Dubai Destination
2nd Dam: Red Slippers, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Morning Devotion, by Affirmed
O-Godolphin; B-Darley; T-Saeed bin Suroor;
J-Silvestre de Sousa; $150,000. Lifetime Record:
MGSW & G1SP-Eng, 8-4-2-2, $452,139. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Feedyah, 121, f, 3, Street Cry (Ire)–Red Dune (Ire),
by Red Ransom. O-Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum; B-Darley; T-Charlie Appleby; $50,000.
3–Mensoora (SAf), 131, f, 3, Jet Master (Saf)–
Mansoor (Aus), by Giant’s Causeway. O-Sheikh
Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum; B-Al Adiyaat
(Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum); T-Mike
de Kock; $25,000.
Margins: 10, 1HF, 1HF.
Also Ran: Magrooma (Aus), More Aspen, Sign Of Lucky, Letterfromamerica, Illuminating Dream (Ire). Scratched: Magroora (Aus).
Click for the Racing Post result or the AmWest PPs. VIDEO.
Ihtimal has faced high-class competition in all eight lifetime starts, and has finished on the board each time. A debut second behind subsequent G3 Albany S. scorer Kiyoshi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at Goodwood last May, she was second to her talented stablemate Wedding Ring (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) two weeks later at Newmarket before finishing third in Royal Ascot’s Listed Chesham S. Godolphin persevered at stakes level with Ihtimal, and that move paid off when she broke her maiden in Newmarket’s G3 Sweet Solera S. Aug. 10, followed by a victory in the G2 May Hill S. at Doncaster Sept. 13. She was a highly respectable third in the G1 Fillies Mile to wrap up her juvenile campaign Sept. 27, and made a successful switch to the Meydan Tapeta to take the Listed UAE 1000 Guineas off more than four months rest Feb. 6. With yesterday’s field comprised entirely of runners who finished behind Ihtimal in the Guineas, it was widely expected that she would win again, and she responded with a fantastic show. Guineas placegetters Feedyah and Mensoora once again hit the board last night, but in reserve order from three weeks ago. Magroora was a late scratch after rearing violently in the starting gate. While Paddy Power left Ihtimal unchanged at 12-1 for the 1000 Guineas, Coral cut her to 10-1 from 14-1. Bin Suroor noted that the G2 UAE Derby on the Dubai World Cup undercard Mar. 29 could be a target for Ihtimal. The only filly to record the UAE Oaks/UAE Derby double has been Godolphin and bin Suroor’s Khawlah (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in 2011. Ihtimal is the first foal from her dam, who is a half-sister to G1 Prix de Diane heroine West Wind (GB) (Machiavellian). G1 Irish Derby and G1 Epsom Oaks winner Balanchine (Storm Bird) falls under Ihtimal’s third dam.