Oasis Dream’s Muhaarar Swoops Late For July Cup Glory

Meeting the older generation of sprinters for the first time in Newmarket’s G1 Darley July Cup, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) left his supporters sweating until the last possible moment but ultimately showed all his class to prevail from the valiant veteran Tropics (Speightstown) in a thriller. Sent off the 2-1 joint-favorite alongside the ultimately disappointing Brazen Beau (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}), the bay who had stormed to an impressive success in the inaugural running of Royal Ascot’s G1 Commonwealth Cup June 19 was free early under restraint from Paul Hanagan despite the blistering pace. Looking held as Tropics opened up a two-length advantage inside the last quarter mile, the homebred kept responding to narrow the deficit and it was only in the last thrust of his head that he managed to pass the 7-year-old and win by a nose. “He just didn’t really handle the track and the ‘dip’ and the only time I could move on him was when he met the rising ground, but I always thought I was going to get there.” his rider commented.

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
DARLEY JULY CUP-G1, £500,000, NEW, 7-11, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:09.34, g/f.
1–MUHAARAR (GB), 126, c, 3, by Oasis Dream (GB)
1st Dam: Tahrir (Ire) (SP-Eng), by Linamix (Fr)
2nd Dam: Miss Sacha (Ire), by Last Tycoon (Ire)
3rd Dam: Heaven High (GB), by High Line (GB)
O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-Charles Hills; J-Paul Hanagan. £283,550. Lifetime Record: 9-5-0-3, $1,106,136. *1/2 to Tamaathul (GB) (Tiger Hill {Ire}), GSP-UAE, $339,790. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tropics, 132, h, 7, Speightstown–Taj Aire, by Taj Alriyadh. ($280,000 Wlg ‘08 KEENOV; $700,000 Ylg ‘09 KEESEP; 2,500gns 3yo ‘11 TA11). O/T-Dean Ivory; B-Doris Konecny, Susan Branch & Allen Branch (KY). £107,500.


3–Eastern Impact (Ire), 132, g, 4, Bahamian Bounty (GB)–Kate the Great (GB), by Xaar (GB). (€24,000 Wlg ‘11 GOFNOV; £25,000 Ylg ‘12 DNPRM). O-Exors of the late D W Barker; B-Airlie Stud (IRE); T-Richard Fahey. £53,800.
Margins: NO, 1HF, NK. Odds: 2.00, 25.00, 50.00.
Also Ran: Sole Power (GB), Danzeno (GB), Anthem Alexander (Ire), Brazen Beau (Aus), Lancelot Du Lac (Ity), Muthmir (Ire), Due Diligence, Astaire (Ire), G Force (Ire), Jack Dexter (GB), Steps (Ire). Scratched: Caspar Netscher (GB). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
By the time Muhaarar lined up for the G2 Gimcrack S. at York’s feature Ebor meeting in August, the bay was beginning to look a touch exposed and his 7-1 odds for that six-furlong contest were probably fair but he upped his game to score by a nose on his fourth start. Previously, he had finished third in this track’s G2 July S. also over six and in the seven-furlong Listed Winkfield S. at Ascot later that month but on both occasions he tended to over-race and he did so again when in the same spot under front-running tactics in the G1 Middle Park S. on the Rowley Mile on Future Champions Day in October. Anchored by Frankie Dettori on his comeback in Newbury’s G3 Greenham S., Muhaarar showed what a winter’s development can do by overpowering the same owner’s Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in a classy renewal of that longstanding seven-furlong Guineas trial Apr. 18. Sent to Longchamp instead of Newmarket to contest the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains, he received a horror wide draw and managed eighth in that May 10 mile Classic before being sent back to this trip for the Commonwealth Cup. Under the radar there at 10-1, he made a mockery of those odds by overwhelming a collection of seemingly top-class sprinting sophomores and duly arrived here the shortest price he had been for a race since the Winkfield 12 months previously. Held on to by Paul Hanagan as Tropics and the habitual front-runner Astaire (Ire) (Intense Focus) shared the pace-setting duties clocking sub 11-second splits just ahead of him, the homebred only began to look remotely comfortable passing the furlong pole once the track’s infamous ‘dip’ had been traversed. As Tropics started to pay for his exertions, Muhaarar was able to use his stride to full effect and make up a length in the final 100 yards. Trainer Charlie Hills added, “He’s a real fighter and he battled right to the line. It’ll be the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest [at Deauville Aug. 9] next and then the [Sept. 5] G1 Haydock Sprint Cup before ending up at Ascot for the [Oct. 17] G1 British Champions Sprint. He’s just a very good horse.”