Trial Take Two

Like last week’s fillies’ equivalent, today’s G3 UAE 2000 Guineas sets up as a re-match between the top three of the UAE 2000 Guineas trial going a furlong shorter Jan. 15. Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa silkbearers Mubtaahij (Ire)(Dubawi {Ire}) and Ajwad (Arg) (Not For Sale {Arg}) finished one-two on that occasion for trainer Mike de Kock, with the former nursing a cozy rail-stalking trip and running out an impressive five-length winner. Mubtaahij, a €450,000 Arqana August purchase in 2013, took his record to a perfect two-for-two over the Meydan dirt, having broken his maiden over this trip Dec. 31 after previously finishing fifth and seventh in a pair of tries over the Newmarket turf in the fall. Ajwad sprung from the gate in the trial and set the pace before being overtaken by his stablemate, but he could be forgiven for displaying a bit of rustiness, having been off since finishing sixth in a Group 2 at San Isidro in his native country Apr. 6. As the lone Southern Hemisphere-bred in the lineup, however, he has to contend with the disadvantage of a 10-pound weight penalty. Godolphin’s Maftool (Hard Spun) brought up the trifecta in the trial. The dark bay displayed talent in his early exploits in Britain, breaking his maiden at second asking and running second to Burnt Sugar (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the G3 Sirenia S. before winning Newmarket’s G3 Tattersall S. by 2 1/2 lengths. Maftool rounded out his European campaign with a fifth, beaten six lengths, in the G1 Dewhurst S. He broke last but two in the trial and made up considerable ground before tiring in midstretch. Maftool and the China Horse Club’s Burnt Sugar are the co-highest rated runners in the field with a mark of 112 from the Emirates Racing Authority.