By Daithi Harvey
Front-running tactics were used to great effect in Saturday's G3 Mahab Al Shimaal when Jordan Sport (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) routed his rivals in the six-furlong dirt contest, lowering the course record in the process. The 5-year-old, trained by Fawzi Nass, proved a revelation on his first try on dirt posting arguably a career best, as he landed his first stakes race for his third different trainer. Previously under the tutelage of Richard Fahey and David Simcock, Jordan Sport was in the front rank once the stalls opened under jockey Adrie De Vries and as the race approached the business end it was clear there would be only one winner. Pulling further clear up the straight, Jordan Sport hit the wire with seven lengths to spare over Yalta (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) with Wild Dude (Wildcat Heir) in third.
A next start in the G1 Golden Shaheen was confirmed by Fawzi Nass. “He's been working well on the dirt but we never thought he would be that good. He's clearly going the right way and the plan was to ping the gates and go,” the trainer said.
Certainly neither pedigree nor race record gave any clues over the affinity Jordan Sport would find with the surface. A smart performer for David Simcock over the previous two seasons, Jordan Sport won a handicap at Newmarket last August which saw his rating climb to 98. Two subsequent fourth-place finishes, the latter in a listed race at Redcar in October, suggested Jordan Sport had reached his peak and previous connections offered him at the Autumn HIT Sale at Tattersalls last October, where he was bought by Oliver St Lawrence for 90,000gns. In five starts this year at Meydan, Jordan Sport has earned over twice his purchase price and given the nature of his win on Saturday, further success looks likely.
Pedigree Notes…
Bred by Rabbah Bloodstock out of the unraced Tiger Hill (Ire) mare Wonder Why (Ger), Jordan Sport is the second stakes winner for his dam following the exploits of Jordan Sport's G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup winning full-brother Akeed Mofeed (GB). The pair are among five runners for the dam, all of whom have won and since Jordan Sport, Wonder Why has given birth to three fillies: a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old by Dubawi (Ire) and a 3-year-old by Invincible Spirit (Ire), with the elder pair of that trio yet to see competitive action. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Saturday, Meydan, Dubai
MAHAB AL SHIMAAL SPONSORED BY EMIRATES SKYWARDS-G3, $200,000, MEY, 3-10, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 6f, 1:10.18, ft.
1–JORDAN SPORT (GB), 126, g, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Wonder Why (Ger), by Tiger Hill (Ire)
2nd Dam: Wells Whisper (Fr), by Sadler's Wells
3rd Dam: Whakilyric, by Miswaki
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (90,000gns HRA '17 TATAUT).
O/T-Fawzi Abdulla Nass; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (GB); J-Adrie
de Vries. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 23-6-2-3, $310,999. *Full
to Akeed Mofeed (GB), G1SW-HK, SW & GSP-Ire, $6,493,319.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A.
2–Yalta (Ire), 126, c, 4, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Lacily, by Elusive
Quality. O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum;
B-Darley (IRE); T-Salem bin Ghadayer. $40,000.
3–Wild Dude, 125, h, 8, Wildcat Heir–Courtly Choice, by
Doneraile Court. ($9,000 Wlg '10 OBSOCT; $42,000 2yo '12
OBSAPR). O-Yu Long & Team Cheval; B-Versatile
Thoroughbreds Llc (FL); T-Ahmed bin Harmash. $20,000.
Margins: 7 1/4, 1 3/4, HD.
Also Ran: Krypton Factor (GB), United Color, Wonder of Qatar (Ire), Raven's Corner (Ire), Dubai One (Ire), Comicas, Taamol (Ire), My Catch (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result. VIDEO.
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