Don’t Stop Me Now
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) is showing a voracious appetite for success in a sprinting scene he is poised to dominate, and the 3-year-old heads to Deauville on Sunday for the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. Despite his impressive win in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 19 and battling display when adding the G1 July Cup to his tally at Newmarket July 11, trainer Charlie Hills is looking forward to sending him back up in trip for this 6 1/2-furlong test. Having already proven himself over seven when taking a red-hot renewal of the G3 Greenham S. at Newbury Apr. 18, the homebred will have no stamina concerns. “I am pleased with how Muhaarar is. If rain did come, it wouldn’t be a problem as he has won on heavy ground and has a slightly rounded action,” his conditioner said. “Six-and-a-half furlongs, I think, will be his ideal trip. He is very athletic and does not look like a sprinter. When you looked at him in the paddock at Newmarket, he looked quite immature compared to some.”
Intriguingly, Andre Fabre sends the Rothschild Family’s 5-year-old mare Esoterique (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) down in trip, having never tackled anything short of a mile. Last seen finishing second to Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Anne S. at that distance June 16, the homebred showed dash to win a tactical dawdle-and-sprint in last year’s G1 Prix Rothschild here. “We want to see her over the shorter distance. It will be interesting to see how she performs,” Fabre commented. “She ran a very good race at Ascot, but we feel, even though she has won over the distance, a mile stretches her a little bit. She could go back to a mile in the future, but we want to try this distance, just to see.”
Richard Hannon is looking to get last year’s summer juvenile sensation Ivawood (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) back on track, having suffered five straight defeats since his wins in the G2 July S. and G2 Richmond S. Although two of those were fully excusable when stretched too far over a mile and finishing third in both the G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and The Curragh May 2 and May 23, his latest effort when 14th in the G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot June 17 was a rare flop.
“This has been the plan for Ivawood for some time, as the 6 1/2-furlong trip looks ideal,” his conditioner explained. “His one blip came in the Jersey S. at Royal Ascot, but he hit the wall soon after halfway and looked to be feeling the effects of those two cracking efforts behind Gleneagles in the English and Irish Guineas. We have freshened him up and he has thrived for the break, so we expect a big run from him.”
Hannon also saddles the Aug. 31 G3 Prix de Meautry and Apr. 25 Listed Leicestershire S. winner Coulsty (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), and he said of him, “He likes Deauville and deserves his place in the field, too. Obviously, this is a big jump up in class for him, but he has surprised us before and has the ability to do so again and get in the money.”